Early schemas develop throughout a person’s childhood and adolescence and continue to have an effect in adulthood. These schemas shape the person’s relationship with the world, how they see and perceive this world and themselves. The development of schemas occurs as a result of the person’s needs for autonomy, competence, self-control, clear expression of emotions and needs, attachment to others, role-playing, being spontaneous, sense of identity, and reasonable boundaries not being met sufficiently or being met more than necessary during childhood. There are 18 of these early schemas in total, and they generally have negative effects on people’s lives.
Interpersonal Relationships
The effects of early schemas are especially evident in relationships. Schemas, which have a great impact on a person’s partner selection, can also negatively affect relationships with partners. A person with schemas of insecurity, abandonment, imperfection, emotional deprivation, submission, underdeveloped self, entitlement, and approval-seeking may not get the satisfaction they want from their relationships. They can also negatively affect the quality of the relationship (Yiğit, Çelik, 2016).
Especially since the schemas of insecurity, imperfection, and emotional deprivation are related to needs such as security, attachment, and acceptance that are necessary in relationships, the person may think that they will not receive these in their relationships (Yiğit, Çelik, 2016). Thus, problems may arise in the relationship regarding issues such as trust, support, attention, and love.
For example, a person with a schema of insecurity may not trust anyone and may believe that everyone will betray them. They may have problems in establishing closeness with the other person because they think that the other person will use them. Therefore, they may have problems with trust and loyalty in their relationships (Yiğit, Çelik, 2016).
On the other hand, people with a schema of imperfection may have difficulty opening up in their relationships because they see themselves as flawed, unimportant, and worthless. Because they may not want the other person to see their flaws. In this case, the relationship satisfaction of individuals may decrease considerably (Yiğit, Çelik, 2016).
Those with an emotional deprivation schema may think that they will not be understood in their romantic relationships and that their emotional needs will never be met. In their relationships, they may not express their own needs and as a result, they may not be able to meet their needs in their relationships. In this case, they may distance themselves from each other with their partners (Yiğit, Çelik, 2016).
Those with an abandonment schema believe that their partners will abandon them. They may either end their relationships themselves or choose unstable partners and then be abandoned. A person with a submission schema may think that they must always fulfill the wishes of their loved ones and put their own needs to the background. In their relationships, they may give excessive importance to their partner’s wishes and needs and ignore their own needs. In this case, the satisfaction they get from their relationship may be negatively affected.
A person with an underdeveloped self-schema may live completely attached to their partner in their relationship. In this case, the quality of the relationship may be negatively affected. A person with an entitlement schema may negatively affect the other person because they see every behavior as justified in their relationship. In this case, the satisfaction they get from the relationship may be negatively affected.
A person with an approval-seeking schema may think that they must consult their partner before doing anything in their relationship. In this case, since the person cannot use their own free will, they may not get the satisfaction they want in their relationship. The other person may get bored with this situation.
Level of Happiness
Early schemas can negatively affect people’s happiness levels as well as their relationships. Inadequate self-control, failure, pessimism, lack of resilience, social isolation, approval-seeking, and emotional suppression schemas can prevent people from being happy (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018).
A person with an inadequate self-control schema may have problems with self-control. They may not be good at planning and being disciplined. Therefore, this schema can put the person in a difficult situation in their work and school life. Since they cannot control themselves sufficiently, they can cause problems for both themselves and those around them (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018).
People with a failure schema may always believe that the work they do will end in failure. Therefore, they may work very hard to avoid failure or accept that they are unsuccessful and make no effort. In both cases, the person’s happiness level is negatively affected (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018).
A person with a pessimism schema always believes that bad things will happen, so it can be difficult for the person to be happy. Since they are always in a pessimistic mood and worried about the future, their happiness level can drop considerably (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018).
A person with a vulnerability schema may believe that they will not be able to cope with events that may happen to them, that they will be inadequate. Even the possibility of a feared event happening to them may cause intense anxiety in the person. Therefore, the person’s happiness level may decrease (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018).
A person with a social isolation schema believes that they are different from other people. Therefore, they may avoid communicating with others, and in this case, their happiness level may decrease (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018). Because people need social connections.
People with an approval-seeking schema, on the other hand, constantly need the approval of other people, so they ignore their own desires, needs, and feelings (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018). Their happiness level may decrease because they put themselves in the background.
Depression and Other Psychological Disorders
Another negative effect of early schemas is psychological disorders. As a result of studies, it has been found that some schemas can make individuals prone to disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders.
Inadequate self-control, vulnerability, and defectiveness schemas can make people prone to depression (Yalçın, Ak et al., 2018).
Schemas can predispose people to anxiety disorders, social phobia, substance use, panic disorder, addiction, and personality disorders in addition to depression (Kömürcü, Pekak, 2016).
Conclusion
Early schemas are formed in childhood and adolescence and continue to have an effect in adulthood. They can also negatively affect people’s relationship satisfaction and quality in adulthood. They can reduce happiness levels and cause depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders.
References
Kömürcü, B., & Pekak, G. S. (2017). Early MaladaptiveSchemas, Parenting Styles, and Relationships Between Psychological Symptoms and Needs Threatened by Psychological Exclusion. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 20(1).
Yalçın, S. B., Kavaklı, M., Kesici, Ş., & Ak, M. (2018). Obstacle to Happiness: Early Maladaptive Schemas.
Yiğit, İ., & Çelik, C. (2016). Evaluation of Relationship Satisfaction in Terms of Early Maladaptive Schemas, Interpersonal Relationship Styles, and Self-Perception. Turkish Psychology Articles, 19(38), 77–87.