Influence of Perceived Parenting Styles on Personal Growth and Self-Acceptance among University students

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the impact of parental behaviors on psychological development specifically on personal growth and self-acceptance among university students in Pakistan. The quantitative correlational design was used and the sample of the study comprised of 300 students (from Peshawar) recruited through convenience sampling method. All participants filled out the Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991) and the Personal Growth and Self-Acceptance subscales of the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff 1989). Results of multiple regressions analysis revealed that perceived parenting styles significantly predicted personal growth, and reflected both positive and negative signs, F (3, 296) = 11.76, p < .001, R² = .10, such that authoritative style positively predicted personal growth and authoritarian and permissive styles, both negatively predicted it. There was also a significant association of perceived parenting styles with self-acceptance, F (3, 295) = 17.51, p < .001, R² = .15, with authoritative parenting the strongest positive predictor, and authoritarian the strongest negative predictor, while there was no association between permissive parenting and self-acceptance. The results suggest that authoritarian parenting is negatively associated with all aspects of wellbeing, authoritative parenting is positively associated with all aspects of wellbeing and permissive parenting had selective negative associations with only personal growth. The outcomes offer additional information to the scanty literature on positive psychological functioning in Pakistan and reveal the key role of perceived parental warmth and structure for development in emerging adulthood.