(Middle Tennessee State University, 2021)
Abbott, Evelyn Grace; Marshall, Seth J.; Rust, James O.
There is a current lack of studies that investigate how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
predict difficulties with social competency skills. To address this, the current study analyzed how
self-reported ACEs predicted six social support competencies, namely, attachment, social
integration, reassurance of worth, reliable alliance, guidance, and opportunity for
nurturance. College students (N = 338) were administered the ACE Questionnaire,
(Felitti, et al., 1998) and the Social Provisions Scale (Cutrona & Russell, 1987). Results
indicated that ACE scores significantly predicted more difficulty with overall social
support skills. Results generally document the presence of a cumulative effect, that is,
more ACEs are associated with more difficulty with social competencies in a non-clinical
U.S. sample of college students.