Assessing the impact of perceived parenting on the self-concept of college going young women

Self-concept (SC) constitutes the idea and beliefs one has about oneself. As the primary agents of socialization, parents play a crucial role in the development of self-concept of their children. The present study sought to explore the relationship of SC of college going young women in India with perceived parenting. Furthermore, it investigated whether perceived parenting significantly predicted SC. Data was collected from 150 college going young women across Delhi NCR (Mage=19.62, Age Range = 18–21 years) using standardized measures of Parenting Scale and Self-Concept Questionnaire. The scales demonstrated high reliability using Cronbach’s alpha for the given population. Statistical analyses (correlation and regression analysis) of the data revealed that perceived parenting of mothers and fathers both positively and significantly correlate and predict several dimensions of SC. Particularly, for participants’ perception of their mothers, carelessness vs. protection significantly predicted the total SC. For fathers, rejection vs. acceptance and freedom vs. discipline were major predictors. For both mothers and fathers, marital conflict vs. marital adjustment was a common predictor. The findings are indicative of the importance of perceived parenting in the development of SC. It also highlights that parenting is a shared responsibility and necessitates a balanced approach as both mothers and fathers play a vital role in shaping an individual’s view of self.