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The Effect of Sex Knowledge, Parent–Child Attachment, and Family Characteristics on Intimate Relationship Satisfaction of Mozambican Students

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects that sex knowledge, parent–child attachment, and family characteristics have on intimate relationship satisfaction (consisting of the degree of independence, intimacy, romantic attitude and behaviours, assertive conflict resolution/communication, liberated beliefs of sexual roles and equality of decision-making) of a sample of 412 young Mozambican college students. Participants completed the Portuguese Version of Parenting Bonding Instrument, the Portuguese Version of Stevens’ Relationship Questionnaire, and a Sexual Knowledge Questionnaire. A descriptive correlational analysis was conducted to investigate the association between sex knowledge, parent–child attachment, and intimate relationship satisfaction. ANOVA was conducted to investigate the effects of family characteristics on intimate relationship satisfaction. A t test analysis was also carried out to determine gender differences with regard to relationship satisfaction. The results indicated a significant correlation between sex knowledge and intimate relationship satisfaction among Mozambican students: exposure to sex knowledge correlated positively with liberated ideas about sexual roles and equality of decision-making. Parent–child attachment is also associated with later intimate relationship satisfaction: There is a significant positive relationship between mother care and assertive conflict resolution and communication, whereas there is a significant negative relationship between mother and father overprotection as well as independence and intimacy, respectively. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between each parent’s family characteristics and their effect on independence, intimacy, and assertive conflict resolution as categories of relationship satisfaction. Participants who grew up with married parents tend to dislike independence, enjoy more intimacy, and endorse more assertive conflict resolution attitudes. Participants who grew up with single parents tend to be more independent, endorse less assertive conflict resolution attitudes, and tend to enjoy intimacy less than those who grew up with married and divorced–remarried parents. It seems that the family characteristics of children who grow up do not have a significant effect on adults’ intimate relationship satisfaction concerning romantic attitudes and also liberated, egalitarian beliefs regarding male and female roles. Finally, there is no significant support for an association between relationship satisfaction and gender.

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  1. University of Toulouse II, 4, rue du Capitaine Dreyfus, Logement 25, 86000, Poitiers, France

    Germano Vera Cruz

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  1. Germano Vera Cruz
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Correspondence to Germano Vera Cruz.

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Vera Cruz, G. The Effect of Sex Knowledge, Parent–Child Attachment, and Family Characteristics on Intimate Relationship Satisfaction of Mozambican Students. Sexuality & Culture 18, 1–15 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-013-9170-9

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