This study investigated whether parental behavior can have long term infuences on children?s brain and mental development. To investigate the long term efects of parental behavior, a questionnaire was used among 49 normal young adults (mean age 22.3 years) to measure representations about their mother?s and father?s behavior, conceptualized as in whether or not the parents met certain needs during participants? childhood. With another questionnaire the young adults? core beliefs were measured, thus what the participants believed about themselves. MRI scanning was used to see whether people who report more negative on their parents than others, have diferent gray matter densities in areas throughout the brain.