A new study led by Michigan State University associate professor William Chopik examined how the quality of current adult relationships shapes recall of adverse childhood experiences. The research followed nearly 1,000 emerging adults over a two-month period and asked participants three times about memories of events that occurred before age 18. At each check, respondents also rated the quality of their relationships with parents, friends and romantic partners.
Overall, reports of childhood adversity were fairly stable, yet the team observed meaningful changes in responses across the eight-week study. The clearest and most consistent predictor of these short-term fluctuations was relationship quality. Specifically, when people reported greater support and less strain from their parents than was typical for them, they tended to report fewer adverse experiences, especially emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.
The authors argue that reporting on adverse childhood experiences contains both stable and dynamic information. They suggest that researchers and clinicians should consider collecting these reports more than once rather than relying on a single snapshot, because small shifts may reveal how people are coping now, how they make sense of their life story, and how adult relationships continue to shape understanding of the past. The research appears in Child Abuse & Neglect; the source is Michigan State University and Futurity.
Difficult words
- adverse — harmful or negative in effect on development
- recall — act of remembering past events or information
- neglect — failure to give necessary care or attention
- fluctuation — a change or variation that occurs over timefluctuations
- snapshot — brief, single view or quick description of situation
- cope — manage difficult situations or deal with stresscoping
- emerging adult — young person transitioning from adolescence to adulthoodemerging adults
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why do the authors recommend collecting reports more than once rather than relying on a single snapshot?
- How might current adult relationships change the way someone remembers or describes childhood events?
- If you were a clinician, how could repeated reports of childhood experiences help you support a client?
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