Parental Bonding and its relation on Personality Formation among Young Adults

Abstract

Parenting styles are important in influencing the personality development of young adults. Supportive and warm parenting tends to be associated with positive emotional adjustment while overprotective or controlling parenting can limit autonomy and shape personality outcomes. The study’s purpose was to determine the impact of different parenting styles-authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent and neglectful on the developing personality of the young adults. The sample was collected of young adults from age group 18 to 25 years old. A quantitative research design was employed, using standardized questionnaires to collect data from 60 participants (31 females, 29 males). Only participants who had both parents present in the first 16 years of their life were taken for this study. Participants were measured on The Big Five Inventory-10 and The Parental Bonding Instrument. The study revealed that there is a significant negative relationship between Extraversion and Neuroticism. There is also a significant negative relationship between mother’s care with mother’s overprotection and father’s overprotection. Additionally, a significant negative relationship between father’s care and father’s overprotection was found. And lastly, both mother's care and father’s care have a significant positive relationship.