Romantic relationship beliefs of Chinese emerging adults following parental divorce

This study investigates how parental divorce shapes the romantic relationship beliefs of emerging adults in China amid rapid cultural change. Grounded in the social-cognitive model of transference, we explore how early relational experiences and family narratives influence expectations of love, commitment, and intimacy. Semi-structured interviews with 20 emerging adults (ages 19–27) from divorced families were thematically analyzed. Three core patterns emerged: (1) negative views of men, often rooted in paternal disillusionment and maternal storytelling, (2) gendered coping strategies, with females adopting defensive individualism and males engaging in corrective identification, and (3) ambivalence toward intimacy, marked by tension between desire for closeness and need for autonomy. Findings show that divorce effects are mediated by paternal behaviors, maternal communication, and cultural norms. By situating family legacies within China’s shifting landscape of rising divorce, individualism, and evolving gender roles, the study illuminates how broader transformations shape romantic beliefs.