Relationship between parenting style, defense mechanism and life satisfaction among young adults

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between parenting styles, defense mechanisms, and life satisfaction, with a comparative analysis between young adults and working adults. The sample consisted of 100 participants, equally divided between young adults (aged 18-25) and working adults (aged 26-45), who were selected through convenient sampling and responded to standardized questionnaires via Google Forms. The study utilized descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and Pearson correlation to analyze the data. Findings indicated that among young adults, parenting styles did not significantly influence either defense mechanisms or life satisfaction. Additionally, no significant correlations were found between the variables in this group. In contrast, among working adults, parenting styles had a significant impact on defense mechanisms, but not on life satisfaction. A moderate positive correlation was observed between parenting styles and defense mechanisms, as well as between defense mechanisms and life satisfaction. The findings suggest developmental differences in how individuals relate their early parental experiences to psychological coping strategies and overall well-being. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on personality development and subjective well-being and highlights the need for age-specific mental health interventions and parenting awareness programs. Despite its contributions, the study acknowledges limitations such as a small sample size, reliance on self-report data, and lack of control for confounding variables. Future research could benefit from longitudinal designs and culturally sensitive assessment tools.