Influence of social skills and personality on the relationship between parenting styles and happiness

Parenting styles play a relevant role in personal development and have been associated with social skills, personality characteristics, and subjective well-being. The present study aimed to examine the associations between perceived parenting styles and happiness, as well as to explore the role of social skills and personality traits as correlates of happiness within different parenting-style groups. A total of 456 participants (228 university students and 228 parents of those students) took part in the study. The mean age of the students was 22.01 years (SD = 7.80), while the mean age of the parents was 53.45 years (SD = 7.08). Using a cross-sectional design, the study tested a multigroup structural equation model to examine how the associations between social skills, personality, and happiness differed across perceived parenting-style groups. Descriptive and comparative analyses were also conducted to explore differences across parenting styles. The results revealed significant differences in social skills, personality traits, and happiness according to parenting style, with higher levels of socio-emotional adjustment and well-being observed in democratic and permissive styles. The multigroup structural equation model indicated that social skills were positively associated with happiness across all parenting styles, whereas personality did not show a significant direct association. Notably, the strength of the association between social skills and happiness varied across parenting styles, being strongest in the democratic style. Overall, the findings highlight the central role of social skills as a key factor associated with subjective well-being and underscore the relevance of parenting styles in shaping these associations.