The Influence of Maternal Parenting Styles on Partner Trust Levels and Their Impact on Attachment Styles

Abstract

With the advancement of socio-economic, technological and cultural development, coupled with the continuous improvement in educational standards, society at large has begun to recognize that factors such as the family environment and parenting styles exerting an undeniable influence across all aspects of life. The emergence and development of physiological and psychological traits, cognitive styles, and attribution patterns are all shaped by parenting practices. However, the issue of whether the connection between maternal parenting styles and trust in adult partners influences attachment styles remains without a unified explanation. This study utilized a combination of the questionnaires Swedish Parenting Style Scale—Chinese Version (S-EMBU-C), trust scale and Adult Attachment Scale, via the SoJump platform, therefore extensively collected data from social media and employed mediation analysis using Mplus. Findings indicate that children raised under different maternal parenting styles experience varying degrees of influence on their future levels of trust in partners. This influence subsequently mediates the formation of distinct attachment styles.