Separation-individuation of Portuguese emerging adults in relation to parents and to the romantic partner

Abstract

Separation-individuation is one of the main developmental tasks for emerging adults in the transition to adulthood and can be defined as the ability to gain autonomy within relatedness in attachment relationships. The aim of this study is to explore the current relationship dynamics of parent-child separation-individuation and to examine the links between this developmental task of emerging adults and the ability to establish an autonomous and differentiated self in an intimate relationship with a romantic partner. Separation-individuation was measured with the Munich Individuation Test of Adolescence (MITA), a self-report instrument that allows the assessment of individuation dimensions towards mother, father, and romantic partner. Participants were 463 Portuguese emerging adults between 18 and 30 years of age, mostly university students. Results point to the existence of different individuation styles that reflect distinct relationships dynamics, as well as gender, age and parental figure differences in the development of an autonomous sense of self within close relationships. In addition, results showed an articulation between individuation dynamics concerning parents and the romantic partner that is associated with participants' individuation style and relationship length, thus supporting the main hypothesis.