Psychology of Woman Journal

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether fear of abandonment mediates the relationship between attachment trauma and conflict sensitivity in romantic relationships among women.

Methods and Materials: A descriptive correlational design was used, and the study sample consisted of 505 women from Poland, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie table. Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing attachment trauma, fear of abandonment, and conflict sensitivity. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 for Pearson correlation and AMOS-21 for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Assumptions of normality, linearity, homoscedasticity, and multicollinearity were tested and confirmed prior to analysis.

Findings: Results from Pearson correlation showed significant positive associations between attachment trauma and fear of abandonment (r = .56, p < .001), attachment trauma and conflict sensitivity (r = .49, p < .001), and fear of abandonment and conflict sensitivity (r = .62, p < .001). SEM analysis revealed that the structural model had an acceptable fit (χ²(46) = 98.35, χ²/df = 2.14, CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.047). Attachment trauma significantly predicted fear of abandonment (β = 0.56, p < .001), which in turn significantly predicted conflict sensitivity (β = 0.62, p < .001). The direct path from attachment trauma to conflict sensitivity was also significant (β = 0.24, p < .001), and the indirect effect through fear of abandonment (β = 0.35, p < .001) indicated partial mediation. The total effect of attachment trauma on conflict sensitivity was β = 0.59 (p < .001).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that fear of abandonment partially mediates the relationship between attachment trauma and conflict sensitivity in romantic relationships among women. These results highlight the importance of addressing abandonment-related fears in therapeutic settings to mitigate the emotional impact of past trauma on adult romantic functioning.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine how growth mindset and academic support predict academic motivation among female first-generation university students.

Methods and Materials: A correlational descriptive design was employed with 474 participants recruited from multiple Canadian universities. Each participant self-identified as female and first-generation, reporting on validated questionnaires that measured growth mindset, perceived academic support, and academic motivation. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression in SPSS-27. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, were computed for all variables to determine overall trends in the sample. The assumptions for linear regression—linearity, multicollinearity, normality, and homoscedasticity—were confirmed prior to analysis. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was collected from each participant.

Findings: Pearson correlation analyses revealed that both growth mindset (r = .48, p < .01) and academic support (r = .56, p < .01) had significant positive relationships with academic motivation. The multiple linear regression model was statistically significant, F(2, 471) = 138.62, p < .001, explaining 37% of the variance in academic motivation (R² = .37). Growth mindset (β = .29, p < .001) and academic support (β = .38, p < .001) emerged as significant predictors, indicating that higher levels of each factor were associated with greater academic motivation in this sample.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the pivotal role of both cognitive and contextual variables in predicting academic motivation among female first-generation students. Interventions that cultivate growth mindset beliefs and bolster academic support could have a substantial impact on enhancing motivation, ultimately promoting academic persistence and success within this demographic.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the predictive roles of emotion suppression and peer rejection on loneliness in female adolescents.

Methods and Materials: A correlational descriptive design was employed, involving 385 female adolescents recruited from various secondary schools in Tunisia. Participants completed a battery of standardized self-report measures assessing loneliness, emotion suppression, and peer rejection. Stratified random sampling ensured diverse socio-economic representation and adherence to ethical guidelines. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27. Descriptive statistics were generated to summarize participant characteristics and overall scores. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationships between loneliness and each predictor. Subsequently, linear regression analysis was performed to determine how emotion suppression and peer rejection simultaneously contributed to loneliness.

Findings: Pearson correlation showed significant positive relationships between loneliness and emotion suppression (r = .41, p < .01), as well as between loneliness and peer rejection (r = .52, p < .01). The two predictors were also significantly related to each other (r = .38, p < .01). Regression analysis indicated that the model was significant (F(2, 382) = 97.46, p < .001), accounting for 34% of the variance in loneliness (R² = .34). Both emotion suppression (β = .29, p < .001) and peer rejection (β = .41, p < .001) uniquely and significantly contributed to loneliness in female adolescents.

Conclusion: Findings highlight that both emotion regulation patterns and social experiences play crucial roles in adolescent loneliness. Adolescents who suppress their emotions or encounter persistent peer rejection appear at a higher risk for feeling isolated. Identifying and addressing these two predictors may be integral to developing targeted interventions aimed at reducing loneliness and promoting emotional well-being among female adolescents in culturally diverse settings.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) in improving relationship satisfaction and reducing anxiety among women with high rejection sensitivity.

Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial design was implemented with 30 women from Mexico who met the criteria for elevated rejection sensitivity. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 15) receiving 12 weekly sessions of IPT or a waitlist control group (n = 15). Assessments were conducted at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and five-month follow-up, using the Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-32) to measure relationship satisfaction and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to assess anxiety. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27 to evaluate within-group and between-group changes over time.

Findings: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant interaction effects between time and group for relationship satisfaction (F(2,28) = 60.89, p < .001, η² = .81) and anxiety (F(2,28) = 55.28, p < .001, η² = .79). Bonferroni post-hoc tests indicated that the IPT group experienced a significant increase in relationship satisfaction from pre-test to post-test (p < .001) and follow-up (p < .001), with no significant decline at follow-up (p = .109). Similarly, anxiety levels significantly decreased from pre-test to post-test (p < .001) and remained stable at follow-up (p = .356), while no significant changes were observed in the control group.

Conclusion: The results suggest that Interpersonal Psychotherapy is a highly effective intervention for enhancing relationship satisfaction and reducing anxiety in women with rejection sensitivity. The therapeutic gains were not only significant immediately after the intervention but were also sustained at the five-month follow-up, indicating long-term benefits of the approach.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a growth mindset training program in enhancing achievement motivation and improving career decision-making among female graduates.

Methods and Materials: The study utilized a randomized controlled trial design with a sample of 30 female graduates from Morocco, randomly assigned into experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group participated in a ten-session growth mindset intervention (45–60 minutes each), while the control group received no intervention. Standardized instruments were used to assess achievement motivation and career decision at three time points: pre-test, post-test, and five-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc tests, conducted in SPSS-27.

Findings: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant time × group interaction effects for both achievement motivation (F(2, 54) = 21.60, p < .001, η² = .48) and career decision (F(2, 54) = 19.22, p < .001, η² = .41), indicating greater improvements over time in the experimental group. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons confirmed significant increases from pre-test to post-test in both achievement motivation (Mean Difference = -7.37, p < .001) and career decision (Mean Difference = -11.39, p < .001), with sustained effects at follow-up (p > .05 between post-test and follow-up).

Conclusion: The findings provide empirical support for the use of growth mindset training as an effective psychological intervention to enhance achievement motivation and improve career decision-making among female graduates. These outcomes underscore the relevance of mindset development during the post-graduation transition and highlight the potential of targeted interventions to support women in navigating career-related challenges.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the boundary-setting strategies employed by women healing from familial emotional abuse.

Methods and Materials: Using a qualitative research design, this study recruited 31 women from various regions of Turkey who self-identified as survivors of familial emotional abuse. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interviews focused on participants’ experiences of emotional abuse and the specific strategies they employed to assert emotional and relational boundaries during their healing process. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using NVivo software, following an inductive coding approach. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was provided by all participants.

Findings: Thematic analysis revealed three overarching categories of boundary-setting strategies: Reclaiming Autonomy, Restructuring Familial Relationships, and Emotional Self-Preservation. Each category included multiple subcategories such as asserting personal space, decision-making independence, limiting contact, managing conversations, detaching from guilt, and reframing abuse narratives. Participants described boundary setting as a deeply emotional, complex process involving both external actions and internal cognitive shifts. Strategies were often enacted amidst cultural norms discouraging familial confrontation and individual autonomy. Despite these challenges, participants reported a gradual strengthening of self-worth, emotional regulation, and relational clarity as a result of these practices.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the need for trauma-informed, culturally sensitive clinical practices that validate and support women’s efforts to assert boundaries as a form of healing and empowerment.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the underlying factors that contribute to career disengagement among highly educated women in South Africa.

Methods and Materials: A qualitative research design was employed to investigate the lived experiences of 24 highly educated women who had voluntarily disengaged from their professional careers. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling and met the criteria of holding at least a postgraduate qualification and having exited or reduced participation in formal employment. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, each lasting between 45 and 70 minutes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo software. Thematic analysis was conducted through an inductive coding process, encompassing open, axial, and selective coding stages. The study followed the principle of theoretical saturation, and credibility was ensured through member checking and peer debriefing.

Findings: Thematic analysis revealed four main themes influencing career disengagement: structural and institutional barriers, sociocultural expectations and pressures, psychological and emotional burnout, and life re-prioritization and autonomy. Subthemes included inflexible work arrangements, gendered organizational cultures, internalized role conflict, emotional exhaustion, and the pursuit of meaningful, autonomous lifestyles. Participants frequently described systemic inequities, social judgment, and identity-related struggles as contributing factors. For many, disengagement was not solely a response to adverse conditions but a deliberate decision to prioritize well-being, autonomy, and personal fulfillment.

Conclusion: Career disengagement among highly educated women is shaped by a complex interplay of systemic, cultural, and psychological factors. These findings highlight the need for organizational and societal reforms to foster inclusive, flexible, and meaningful career pathways for women.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the multidimensional nature of empowerment as experienced by women engaged in grassroots feminist movements in the United States.

Methods and Materials: A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 29 women actively involved in feminist grassroots organizing across various regions of the United States. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure diversity in age, ethnicity, and activist experience. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Interviews were conducted virtually, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis, supported by NVivo software. The analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach to identify key themes and subthemes reflecting participants’ lived experiences of empowerment within activist contexts.

Findings: The analysis revealed five major dimensions of empowerment: personal empowerment, collective empowerment, sociopolitical agency, transformational learning, and identity reclamation. Each category comprised multiple subthemes, such as self-awareness, solidarity, political voice, critical consciousness, and cultural pride. Participants described how grassroots activism facilitated internal growth, strengthened interpersonal connections, and expanded their engagement in civic and political life. The data highlighted how empowerment was not a fixed state but an evolving, contextual process shaped by resistance, relational dynamics, and ongoing learning. Quotations from participants illustrated how even small acts, such as asserting boundaries or sharing personal stories, contributed to broader transformations in identity and agency.

Conclusion: Women’s participation in grassroots feminist movements fosters a dynamic and multifaceted empowerment process that transcends traditional institutional metrics. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing emotional, relational, and symbolic dimensions of empowerment, as well as the sociopolitical mechanisms through which women reclaim agency and challenge systemic inequalities. Supporting grassroots feminist efforts requires attention to sustainability, intersectionality, and collective care to maintain their transformative potential.