The Father and Daughter Relationship and the effects it has on her Future Romantic Relationship
Jessica Grayson
South Carolina State University
Psychology 401
March 9, 2012

While in a romantic relationship a women seeks for a partner that will provide her with unconditional love, security, and comfort. She comes to understand that the man she falls in love with should treat her with respect, show her affection, and love her in the same way she would love him. What women look for in her romantic partner is learned from her own relationship with her father. It is stated that the first man a women will ever love is her father, and what she expects her own romantic partner to be is a mirror of how her father was or is to her. The question that raises concerns is the women who are not fortunate to have the guidance of a father figure in their life; does it really affect her future relationship with her romantic partners? Over the years there has been a significant number if studies conducted to see if a young adult’s relationship with his or her family during childhood actually has a great effect on their adulthood, including their romantic relationships. According to research by Katorski (2003) the research conducted by the studies of Barnett and Kibria showed that a positive parent and a child relationship enhances several aspects of psychological wellbeing while a negative relationship between a parent and a child is thought to cause psychological distress. They believed when a child is in a state of psychological wellbeing, he or she is more likely to have a higher level of self-acceptance, self-growth, and self-confidence in their lives which is a very important factor a person must have before pressuring a successful romantic relationship. A child who is in a state of psychological distress is not as confident within themselves. A child that tends to