The Impact of Family Flexibility and Adjustment on Parental Overprotection

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationships between parental overprotection, family flexibility, and family adjustment. It seeks to determine how family flexibility and adjustment predict levels of parental overprotection. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 224 parents of children aged 5-18 years, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie table. Participants completed standardized questionnaires measuring parental overprotection, family flexibility, and family adjustment. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses with IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27 to explore the relationships between the variables and to identify significant predictors of parental overprotection. Descriptive statistics indicated mean scores of 28.35 (SD = 5.76) for parental overprotection, 45.23 (SD = 6.48) for family flexibility, and 52.67 (SD = 7.34) for family adjustment. Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant negative correlations between parental overprotection and family flexibility (r = -0.45, p < .001), and between parental overprotection and family adjustment (r = -0.52, p < .001). Regression analysis showed that family flexibility and family adjustment significantly predicted parental overprotection, accounting for 32% of the variance (R² = 0.32, adjusted R² = 0.31, F(2, 221) = 52.38, p < .001). Multivariate regression results indicated that both family flexibility (B = -0.31, p < .001) and family adjustment (B = -0.41, p < .001) were significant predictors. The findings suggest that higher levels of family flexibility and adjustment are associated with lower levels of parental overprotection. Interventions aimed at enhancing family adaptability and overall adjustment could potentially mitigate overprotective parenting behaviors, promoting healthier family dynamics and better psychological outcomes for children.