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Investigating Parenting Style and College Student Grit at a Private Mid-Sized New England University
Abstract
Higher education has experienced an increase in parent engagement in the lives of college students (Arnett, 2014). Recognizing the presence of families, researchers have investigated the relationship between parenting style and college success variables such as academic performance (Miller & Speirs Neumeister, 2017), wellness (Coccia & Darling, 2017), and transition (Love & Thomas, 2014). In recent literature, studies have focused on grit and its relation to college success (Bowman et al., 2015; Duckworth et al., 2007); yet, research on the relationship between parenting style and grit is lacking. This quantitative correlational study investigated the relationship between college student self-report of grit (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) and parenting style (Baumrind, 1971b). The study was guided by the following research questions: 1. Is there a relationship between parenting style and college student grit? To what extent and in what manner does parenting style explain the variance in grit? 2. Is there a relationship among parenting style, college student grit, and demographics? To what extent and in what manner does parenting style and demographics explain the variance in grit? Data were collected from undergraduate students (N = 974) through a questionnaire. The results revealed authoritative parenting was positively correlated (single r = .206, p = .003, ES = small/med; parent 1 r = .220, p < .001, ES = small/med; parent 2 r = .177, p < .001, ES = small/med) and permissive parenting was negatively correlated (single r = –.269, p < .001, ES = small/med; parent 1 r = –.119, p = .003, ES = small; parent 2 r = –.151, p < .001, ES = small/med) with grit. The regression models revealed less permissive parenting behavior and more authoritative parenting behavior explained the variability in grit for all parenting units (single r2 = .102, p = .011, ES = small; parent 1 r2 = .058, p = 0.009, ES = small; parent 2 r2 = .050, p < .001, ES = small). First- generation status, Hispanic, Black and non-Asian ethnicity were also significant in several models. The resulting actions filled a gap in the literature finding a relationship between parenting style and college student grit. The results may help college administrators understand how parenting styles may relate to how students approach academic and career goals. The results may help K-12 administrators and Departments of Children and Families structure programming on how parenting style may support children for passion and perseverance towards long-term goals.
Subject Area
Educational tests & measurements|Educational leadership|Educational administration|Educational psychology|Individual & family studies|Higher education
Recommended Citation
Dunn, Kelly M, "Investigating Parenting Style and College Student Grit at a Private Mid-Sized New England University" (2018). Dissertation & Theses Collection. AAI10750334.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/dissertations/AAI10750334