At 90 years old, Ronald P. Rohner, professor emeritus and director of the Center for the Study of Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection at the University of Connecticut, continues his relentless pursuit of understanding human relationships. Despite his age, Rohner works every day, including holidays and weekends, driven by his passion for advancing Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory). His dedication is evident as he prepares to pass the torch to Sumbleen Ali, a research scientist at the Center and assistant professor at SUNY Oneonta.
Rohner and Ali have recently co-authored a book titled “Global Perspectives on Parental Acceptance and Rejection: Lessons Learned from IPARTheory,” which delves into the nuances of acceptance and rejection across cultures. In a recent interview, they discussed the genesis of Rohner’s research and its implications for individuals worldwide.
The Genesis of IPARTheory
Rohner’s journey into the world of acceptance and rejection began with a passage in a 1956 textbook during his undergraduate studies. The book claimed that rejected children often exhibit traits like fearfulness, insecurity, and hostility. However, Rohner’s experiences in Morocco challenged this notion, prompting him to explore whether these traits were universally applicable.
Using the cross-cultural survey method, Rohner’s graduate research revealed that while some aspects of the textbook’s claims held true, others did not. This discovery fueled his lifelong quest to understand human behavior across different cultures. “Every class thereafter during my graduate career, if I could possibly fit it in, I built on that initial cross-cultural study,” Rohner explained.
Key Findings from Decades of Research
Over the past 60 years, Rohner and his team have worked with hundreds of thousands of individuals across every continent except Antarctica. Their research has uncovered three critical insights:
- Universal Understanding of Care: People worldwide perceive care or lack thereof in similar ways, with no exceptions found so far.
- Reactions to Rejection: When individuals feel rejected by significant figures in their lives, such as parents or partners, they often experience anxiety, insecurity, and impaired self-esteem.
- Biocultural Evolution: Ali’s work suggests that acceptance and rejection are rooted in our shared biocultural evolution, influencing brain activity and emotional regulation.
“The beauty of the work we do is that we can now empirically document three things, among others. First, humans everywhere understand themselves to be cared about or not cared about in the same four ways.” – Ronald P. Rohner
Ali’s research, which involved brain scans of students with different parental acceptance histories, revealed that those with rejection histories exhibited heightened activity in brain areas linked to emotion and memory. This suggests that past rejections are re-experienced, while those who felt loved showed more activation in regions associated with rational thinking.
The Importance of Acceptance and Rejection
Rohner emphasizes the profound impact of rejection, likening it to a lingering pain that can persist throughout a person’s life. “With rejection, every time you think about it for the rest of your life, it can light up your brain in the same way it did when it was happening,” he noted. This enduring effect underscores the importance of understanding and addressing rejection.
Ali highlights the concept of “affective copers,” individuals who, despite experiencing parental rejection, do not exhibit the same psychological maladjustment due to the presence of supportive figures in their lives. This insight offers hope for therapeutic interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of rejection.
“There’s no single experience in human life that’s more important, that has greater impact over the entire course of your life than the experience of being cared about by the people who are most important to you.” – Ronald P. Rohner
Building a Better Understanding of Relationships
IPARTheory’s global application in clinical settings, schools, and courts demonstrates its effectiveness in addressing issues like parental alienation and custody disputes. The theory’s widespread adoption is a testament to its universal relevance and the shared human experience of acceptance and rejection.
Rohner and Ali’s work aims to foster healthier interpersonal relationships by enhancing our understanding of love and rejection. Their research and advocacy strive to build better communities by improving how we relate to one another.
As Rohner prepares to retire, his legacy continues through the efforts of researchers like Ali, who are committed to advancing the study of acceptance and rejection. Together, they hope to unlock the mysteries of human relationships and promote a world where love and acceptance prevail.
