Chiverton, Peter (2015) Emotional Deprivation Schema in Men, Partner Schemas, and Relationship Satisfaction: What Role do Interpersonal Problems Play? Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Early maladaptive schemas (schemas or EMS) are patterns of thought developed in childhood and adolescence, which assist people to make sense of their life experience and process information about the world. Schema theory proposed the existence of 18 schemas belonging to five domains (Young, Klosko, & Weishaar, 2003). The disconnection and rejection domain is based on an expectation that one’s needs for security, nurturance, empathy, acceptance, respect, and sharing of feelings will not be met by others. From this domain, an emotional deprivation schema is an expectation that a person’s desire for a normal level of emotional support will not be met. A limited amount of research has identified an association between emotional deprivation schema and relationship satisfaction. Studies have found relationship satisfaction is also associated with interpersonal problems. The current crosssectional study aimed to investigate three research questions: Whether the female partners of males reporting an emotional deprivation schema would report schema from the disconnection and rejection domain; whether emotional deprivation schema and interpersonal skill in males would predict their level of relationship satisfaction; and whether males’ emotional deprivation schema would predict increased interpersonal problems, which in turn would predict lower relationship satisfaction. Participants were 120 heterosexual couples with a mean age of 37.58 years (SD = 13.73 years), who had been in a relationship of at least one year, and were sourced through researchers’ social networks and first year university students. Data were collected through an online survey. Five schemas in the disconnection and rejection domain were assessed using the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (Young et al., 2003). Interpersonal problems were measured using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, (Horowitz, Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 2000), and relationship satisfaction was measured using the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988). A significant positive relationship was found between higher scores for emotional deprivation schema in males and higher scores for the five disconnection and rejection domain schemas in their female partners. The strongest relationship was found between increased levels of emotional deprivation schema in both partners. Together, emotional deprivation schema and interpersonal problems in males significantly predicted 69.0% of the reduction in their level of relationship satisfaction. The relationship between emotional deprivation schema and relationship satisfaction was partially mediated by interpersonal problems, such that higher scores on emotional deprivation schema predicted more interpersonal problems, which predicted lower relationship satisfaction. The present study builds on previous literature and research regarding the associations between schemas, interpersonal problems, and relationship satisfaction. Specifically, these findings support the premise that individuals may accept romantic relationships based on their schemas. The research also indicates that the association between schemas and relationship satisfaction is mediated by interpersonal problems. Further research into the association between coping responses used by individuals to deal with their schemas, interpersonal problems, and relationship satisfaction are suggested. Practical implications relate to the potential to improve schema therapy outcomes for couples through a better understanding of the association between maladaptive coping responses, interpersonal problems and relationship satisfaction.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Zahra Izadikhah |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Sep 2025 01:21 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Sep 2025 01:21 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Early maladaptive schemas, interpersonal problems, relationship satisfaction, emotional deprivation schema, males, females, couples, schema therapy |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52206 |
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