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Spousal Rejection as a Risk Factor for Parental Rejection of Children Among Pakistani Families in the U.S.

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Abstract

This study explores the question: To what extent are Pakistani American children’s perceptions of maternal and paternal rejection related to their parents’ perceptions of spousal rejection? The research draws from a sample of 102 Pakistani families living in the USA. Urdu language versions of the Intimate Partner Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire were used by husbands and wives. English language versions of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire were used by children. Results of analyses showed that wives’ perceptions of husbands’ rejection predicted children’s perceptions of both maternal and paternal rejection. Similarly, husbands’ perceptions of wives’ rejection predicted children’s perceptions of both maternal and paternal rejection. These results suggest that the “spillover effect” explains the association between spousal rejection and perceived parental rejection.

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Author Note

Farah Malik thanks the Fulbright International Educational Exchange Program for the opportunity to complete this research while she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Ronald and Nancy Rohner Center for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Unit 1058, Storrs, CT, 06269-1058, USA

    Farah Malik & Ronald P. Rohner

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  1. Farah Malik
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  2. Ronald P. Rohner
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Correspondence to Ronald P. Rohner.

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Malik, F., Rohner, R.P. Spousal Rejection as a Risk Factor for Parental Rejection of Children Among Pakistani Families in the U.S.. J Fam Viol 31, 119–125 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9756-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9756-0

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