The Mediating Role of Self-Differentiation in the Relationship between Emotional Abuse and Co-Dependency in married female students

Mostafa, Vafa; Mirzapour, Hadi; Falahzade, Hajar; Hamidi, Omid

doi:10.22051/jwfs.2021.31455.2427

The Mediating Role of Self-Differentiation in the Relationship between Emotional Abuse and Co-Dependency in married female students

Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

¹ Family Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

² in Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

³ shahid beheshti university

⁴ counseling Group, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Shahid Chamran university, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22051/jwfs.2021.31455.2427

Abstract

One of the problems that families are involved with is the experience of violence, especially Emotional Abuse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of Self-Differentiation between the components of Co-Dependency and Emotional Abuse components. This is a Descriptive Correlational study. The Statistical Population of the present study was all married female students of the Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran in 2018. That 250 of them were selected by available sampling method and they completed the Emotional Abuse Scale, Holyoake Co-Dependency Scale and Self-Differentiation Questionnaire. the data were analyzed by Pearson Correlation and Path Analysis. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between all components of Co-Dependency, Self-Differentiation and all components of Emotional Abuse (p < 0.05), as well as Self-Differentiation in the relationship between all components of Co-Dependency with all components of Emotional Abuse, except the Emotional Reactivity component, play a mediating role. Self-Differentiation as a mediator can modify the relationship between Co-Dependency with Emotional Abuse. Therefore, the emphasis on Self-Differentiation training can be considered in order to reduces the effects of Co-Dependency and Emotional Abuse.

Highlights

نتایج پژوهش حاضر نشان داد که بین تمام مولفه‌های هم‌وابستگی، خود-متمایزسازی و مولفه-های آزار عاطفی ارتباط معناداری وجود دارد (05/0p <) و همچنین خود-متمایزسازی در ارتباط بین تمام مولفه‌های هم‌وابستگی با تمام مولفه‌های آزار عاطفی به استثنای مولفه واکنش‌گری نقش واسطه‌ای ایفا می‌کند. خود-متمایزسازی به عنوان یک متغیر واسطه‌ای می‌تواند ارتباط بین هم‌وابستگی و آزار عاطفی را تعدیل کند. بنابراین، تاکید بر آموزش خود-متمایزسازی به جهت کاهش اثرات هم‌وابستگی و آزار عاطفی می‌تواند مورد توجه قرار گیرد

Keywords

Full Text

Extended abstract

Background & Purpose

Emotional abuse involves behaviors that hurt the other person and ultimately destroy a person's sense of worth and personality (Wolford-Clevenger, Grigorian, Brem, Florimbio, Elmquist & Stuart, 2017). In this regard, one of the variables related to emotional harassment is the co-dependency (Knudson & Terrell, 2012). Co-dependency has mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions that include learned behaviors, feelings, and beliefs, and result from over-focusing on the needs and behaviors of others. This dependence leads to ignoring one's needs and losing identity. (Bacon, McKay, Reynolds & McIntyre, 2020).

On the other hand, one of the variables related to the concepts of co-dependency and emotional abuse and can affect the type of relationship is self-differentiation (Chang, 2018) that is the ability to maintain one's "individuality" while being emotionally and intellectually relationship with family (Kerr and Bowen, 1988; cited in Meteyard, Andersen & Marx, 2012).

Research background suggests that self-differentiation is theoretically related to emotional abuse and co-dependency, but its moderating role on the two concepts is a research vacuum. Therefore, the present study seeks to investigate the mediating role of self-differentiation in the relationship between co-dependency and emotional abuse.

Method

The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population includes all married female students at Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran in the year 1997-98. 250 married female students were selected by non-random sampling method.

Emotional abuse scale: This questionnaire was developed by Brahimi (2008). This tool measures the four factors of verbal abuse-criticism, neglect - withdrawal, domination and social restrictions, which has 80 questions.

Holyoake codependency index: This questionnaire was developed by Dear and Robert (2000) and has 13 questions and three subscales of self-sacrifice, external focus, and reactivity.

Differentiation of self-questionnaire: This questionnaire was developed by Skowron (2000), which has 46 questions and includes 4 subscales of emotional reactivity, I-position, emotional control, and fusion.

Results

Analysis of the results showed that the indirect coefficients of codependency components (excluding the reactivity component) were significant on all components of emotional abuse (mediated by self-differentiation). These findings are shown in Table 1:

Table 1.

Indirect coefficients of codependency components

Mediator variable	Criterion variables	Statistic	Predictor variables
Mediator variable	Criterion variables	Statistic	Self-sacrifice	External focus	Reactivity
Self-differentiation	Verbal Abuse	Coefficient	0.3	-0.46	0.09
		Error	-0.04	-0/05	-0/05
		t	8.13	9.39	1.82
	Neglect - Withdrawal	Coefficient	0.3	0.47	0.09
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05
		t	8.15	9.41	1.82
	Domination	Coefficient	0.3	0.47	0.09
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05
		t	8.16	9.43	1.82
	Social restrictions	Coefficient	0.28	0.44	0.09
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05
		t	8.01	9.2	1.81

Also, the coefficients of total effects of all components of codependency (excluding the reactivity component) on all components of emotional abuse (mediated by self-differentiation) are significant. These findings are shown in Table 2:

Table 2.

Total effects of codependency components

	Criterion variables	Statistic	Predictor variables
	Criterion variables	Statistic	Self-sacrifice	External focus	Reactivity	Self-differentiation
Mediator variable	Self-differentiation	Coefficient	-0.34	-0.54	-0.1
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.06
		t	-8.55	-10.05	-1.82
Criterion	Verbal Abuse	Coefficient	0.3	0.46	0.09	-0.86
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05	-0.03
		t	8.13	9.39	1.82	-26.21
	Neglect - Withdrawal	Coefficient	0.3	0.47	0.09	-0.86
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05	-0.03
		t	8.15	9.41	1.82	-26.81
	Domination	Coefficient	0.3	0.47	0.09	-0.87
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05	-0.03
		t	8.16	9.43	1.82	-27.18
	Social restrictions	Coefficient	0.28	0.44	1.09	-0.83
		Error	-0.04	-0.05	-0.05	-0.04
		t	8.01	9.2	1.81	-22.8

Conclusion

The results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between all components of codependency and self-differentiation. One of the components of codependency is self-ignorance, in which a person devotes himself completely to others, even if he knows that the relationship may be harmful to him. This is contrary to the theory of self-differentiation, because one of the main dimensions of self-differentiation is the ability to distinguish between one's emotions and thoughts in relation to others. In such a way that the person maintains "I position" while communicating with his surroundings and communicates effectively with others while respecting himself. Data analysis showed a positive and significant relationship between all components of codependency with emotional abuse. It can be said that People in a state of codependency have less expression in different situations due to not paying attention to themselves. Because of these characteristics, they adhere to relationships that do not respect their rights. These people are abused during these relationships in various physical, sexual or psychological dimensions, and due to their dependence on this relationship and lack of sufficient social skills, they are not able to end the relationship and are more exposed to emotional violence. The results also showed a two-way and inverse relationship between self-differentiation and components of emotional abuse. Differentiated individuals are able to distinguish between thoughts and feelings as well as between intimacy and independence. Because of this ability, these people behave maturely in different situations and if they engage in a relationship that may be emotionally abusive, they will defend themselves and not feel obligated to maintain that relationship. They defend themselves and do not consider themselves obliged to maintain this relationship. Finally, the results showed that the mediating role of self-differentiation was significant in the relationship between all components of codependency with all components of emotional abuse except the component of reactivity. Differentiated individuals, because of their ability to deal with things rationally and focus on their abilities and rights, can deal rationally in situations that may be emotionally abusing (such as married life). In fact, increasing the degree of self-differentiation from the negative effects of correlation neutralizes and reduces the vulnerability of the components of emotional abuse. According to the findings, family counselors and couple therapists can reduce their emotional abuse by increasing women's differentiation, changing women's attachment to responsibility, and mature behaviors.

Ethical Considerations

All participants in the study participated in the study by filling out a consent form, and the researchers assured them that the results of the research were confidential.

Funding: The study was conducted at the personal expense of researchers.

Authors’ contribution: In conducting this research, the first author writing this article, the second author of data collection, the third author of monitoring the implementation of the research and reviewing the article and the fourth author participated in the statistical analysis and corresponding of this article.

Conflict of interest: This research is not in conflict with personal or organizational interests.

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank all the participants in this study.

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Journal of Woman and Family Studies

The Mediating Role of Self-Differentiation in the Relationship between Emotional Abuse and Co-Dependency in married female students

Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 20June 2021Pages 59-84

Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 20
June 2021
Pages 59-84