Reducing Parental Psychological Control: The Influence of Marital Support and Psychological Capital

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive role of emotional support in marriage and psychological capital in parental psychological control, exploring how these factors contribute to variations in parenting behaviors.

Methods and Materials: A correlational descriptive design was employed, with a sample of 320 married individuals with children selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie table. Participants completed standardized measures assessing parental psychological control, emotional support in marriage, and psychological capital. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation to examine the relationships between variables and multiple linear regression to determine the predictive power of emotional support in marriage and psychological capital on parental psychological control. SPSS version 27 was used for statistical analysis, with significance set at p < 0.01.

Findings: Results indicated significant negative correlations between parental psychological control and both emotional support in marriage (r = -0.52, p < 0.01) and psychological capital (r = -0.46, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that emotional support in marriage (B = -0.41, p < 0.01) and psychological capital (B = -0.36, p < 0.01) significantly predicted lower parental psychological control, accounting for 34% of the variance (R² = 0.34). These findings suggest that parents with higher marital support and stronger psychological resources engage in less psychologically controlling parenting behaviors.

Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of emotional support in marriage and psychological capital in reducing parental psychological control. Strengthening spousal support and enhancing psychological capital may serve as effective strategies for promoting healthier parenting practices and reducing manipulative parental behaviors. Future research should explore longitudinal effects and intervention strategies aimed at fostering supportive marital relationships and psychological resilience among parents.