Parental Self Efficacy and Perceived Parenting Attitudes as Predictors of Parenting Styles in Preschool Parents
This study aims to examine the predictive impact of perceived parental attitudes and parental self-efficacy on current parenting styles of preschool parents. The study employs a correlational survey model, which is a quantitative research design. Data were collected from 202 parents of children aged 36-72 months using the Parental Attitude Scale, Berkeley Parental Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Shortened Perceived Parental Attitude Scale-Child Form (s-EMBU), and hierarchical regression analysis was applied to determine the predictive relationship between the variables. T-tests and ANOVA were used to analyze whether parental attitudes differed according to demographic variables. Findings revealed that repressive/authoritarian attitudes significantly differed based on income, education level, number of children, and employment status. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that parental self-efficacy and a perceived democratic father attitude were significant predictors of democratic parenting styles. Also, regression analyses show that perceived paternal overprotection in childhood is a significant predictor of authoritarian parenting behaviors in adulthood. Additionally, mothers were found to exhibit significantly higher repressive attitudes than fathers. The results support the notion that both intergenerational patterns of parental attitudes and parental competence beliefs play a critical role in shaping current parenting styles during the preschool period. These findings highlight the importance of school-based parent guidance and psychoeducational programs in preschool settings, particularly those implemented by teachers and school counselors, that aim to strengthen parental self-efficacy and support more democratic and developmentally appropriate parenting practices.