Examining the relationship and correlation between perceived parental acceptance-rejection in adulthood and the child-rearing styles of mothers of preschool children

Childhood is a crucial period in which the foundations of an individual's personality, social and emotional development, emotional structuring and social relationships are established. Experiences during this period can affect how children perceive themselves and their relationships with others later in life. It is believed that individuals' perceptions of acceptance or rejection by their parents, particularly during childhood, can play a decisive role in their own parenting. Within this context, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the levels of perceived parental acceptance-rejection in mothers' own childhood experiences and their current parenting styles. The sample group of the study consists of 407 mothers who have children between the ages 4 to 6, attending preschool. This research was conducted using a descriptive and relational survey model. ''Personal Information Form'' was used to gather data about the mothers. To assess the levels of parental acceptance-rejection perceived by the mothers in their own childhood, the "Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire-Short Form (Adult PARQ/S) – Mother and Father Forms" were administered. Multidimensional Parenting Styles Assessment Scale (MAPS)-Parent Form was used to identify the current parenting styles of the mothers. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 24 Statistical software package. Since the data did not show a normal distribution, non-parametric tests were preferred. Participants' personal information was analyzed through frequency and percentage calculations, while descriptive statistics of the scales were reported using means and standard deviations. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests were used to examine differences between personal variables and scores on the Adult PARQ/S and the MAPS Scale. Spearman-Brown Rank Difference Correlation Coefficient was applied to determine the relationship between Adult PARQ/S and MAPS. The results revealed that the perceived level of Warmth/Affection from parents was the highest among mothers, while Hostility/Aggression, Neglect/Indifference, Undifferentiated Rejection and total scores were below average. Significant differences were found in mothers' Adult PARQ/S-Mother scores according to the mother's age and education level. No significant differences were observed in these scores based on employment status, number of children, child's age, child's gender or the duration of school attendance. Additionally, no significant differences were found in the Adult PARQ/S-Father scores in relation to any of the variables. When examining the MAPS scores, the sub-scale scores for Broadband positive parenting were found to be above average, while sub-scale scores for Broadband negative parenting were below average. Significant differences in these scores were found based on the mother's age, education level, number of children, child's age, and the duration of school attendance. However, no significant differences were found based on employment status or the child's gender. The analysis of the relationship between mothers' Adult PARQ/S-Mother and Father scores and their MAPS indicated that as the Warmth/Affection scores increased, the level of positive parenting also increased. Conversely, as scores for Hostility/Aggression, Neglect/Indifference, Undifferentiated Rejection, and total scores increased, negative parenting styles became more prevalent, or positive parenting decreased as Warmth/Affection decreased. Similarly, negative parenting styles decreased as Hostility/Aggression, Neglect/Indifference, Undifferentiated Rejection and total scores decreased. In conclusion, it was identified that the acceptance or rejection perceived by mothers from their parents during childhood significantly influences their current parenting styles.