KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Journal of Psychosociological Research in Family and Culture 3041-8550 3 Serial Number 11 2025 07 01 Parental Overprotection and Young Adults’ Autonomy: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy Parental Overprotection and Young Adults’ Autonomy: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy 1 9 10.61838/kman.jprfc.3.3.3 EN Journal Article 2025 04 10 <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived parental overprotection and autonomy in Malaysian young adults.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials: </strong>A descriptive correlational research design was employed involving a sample of 423 university students in Malaysia, selected based on Krejcie and Morgan’s sampling table. Participants completed standardized measures including the Parental Bonding Instrument (Overprotection subscale), General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Autonomous Functioning Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 for descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations, and AMOS-21 for structural equation modeling (SEM). Assumptions such as normality, multicollinearity, and linearity were checked and confirmed before inferential analysis.</p> <p><strong>Findings: </strong>The results indicated a significant negative correlation between parental overprotection and autonomy (r = –.47, p &lt; .001), and between parental overprotection and self-efficacy (r = –.41, p &lt; .001). Self-efficacy was positively correlated with autonomy (r = .53, p &lt; .001). SEM results showed that parental overprotection significantly predicted lower self-efficacy (β = –0.41, p &lt; .001) and autonomy both directly (β = –0.28, p &lt; .001) and indirectly via self-efficacy (β = –0.22, p &lt; .001). The total effect of parental overprotection on autonomy was substantial (β = –0.50, p &lt; .001). Model fit indices supported the adequacy of the hypothesized model (χ²/df = 1.74; CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.041).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that parental overprotection has a significant negative impact on young adults’ autonomy, both directly and through its detrimental effect on self-efficacy. Promoting self-efficacy may help mitigate the negative developmental consequences of overprotective parenting, especially in collectivist cultures where parental control is often normative.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/jprfc/article/download/4271/7491