The Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Vocational Identity: Mediating Roles Of Stress and Self-Esteem

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between parenting styles and vocational identity statuses. Mediating roles of stress and self-esteem in relationship of parenting styles and vocational identity statuses were also investigated. The sample comprised of a total of 350 students (males=175, females=175) of first and second semester of under graduate programmes, obtained through convenient sampling from semi-government universities of Islamabad. To study the parenting styles, Parental Authority Questionnaire (Buri, 1991) was used. In order to study the stress level among the students, Cohen Perceived Stress scale was used (Cohen, Kamarch, & Mermelstein, 1983). To study self-esteem, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1960) was used and Occupational Identity Scale (Melgosa, 1987) was used to measure vocational identity of students. The scales were pretested to establish the cultural relevance and to assess the comprehension level of the scales on the given sample. Initially, psychometric properties of the selected scales were established within Pakistani culture. For the main study, correlational analysis and PROCESS macro were used to test the mediational relationship between the variables. The results indicate that only self-esteem mediates the relationship between paternal authoritative parenting style and vocational identity achievement of female students. On the contrary, stress does not mediate the relationship between paternal authoritarian parenting style and vocational identity foreclosure of male students. It is further observed that stress does not mediate the relationship between maternal authoritarian parenting style and identity foreclosure of female students. Findings also show differential roles of fathers and mothers in forming vocational identity statuses of both boys and girls. The findings of the research have implications for career counselors & educationists to develop effective career education programmes.