"Why do I have to be perfect?" Adverse childhood experiences, perceived parenting styles, and multidimensional perfectionism

<p>The present study explored the link between adverse childhood experiences, perceived parenting styles, and multidimensional perfectionism. The sample comprised 156 Romanian students aged 18 to 51 (Mage = 23.6). We investigated the associations between the primary variables and the potential gender differences. We also tested a prediction model related to the multidimensional approach to perfectionism, using adverse childhood experiences and perceived parenting styles as predictors. Our results suggested that female participants reported more frequent adverse childhood experiences, while male participants scored higher than female participants regarding perceived authoritative parenting style. Results also suggested that adverse childhood experiences and perceived parenting styles significantly predicted students' self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism. However, these findings highlighted that only the authoritarian parenting style might be considered when discussing the role of parenting styles in the roots of SOP and SPP, emphasising the importance of parental demandingness in the absence of parental warmth.</p>