The Relation of Helicopter Parenting to Maladaptive Perfectionism in Emerging Adults

Abstract

Helicopter parenting may contribute to the development of children’s maladaptive perfectionism. This relationship may be salient in emerging adulthood, a time characterized by decision-making and navigating novel situations. This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relation of helicopter parenting and maladaptive perfectionism. Emerging adult college students ( n = 264) completed measures of helicopter parenting and a measure of maladaptive perfectionism. Factor analysis of the helicopter parenting measures yielded two factors: the perceived parental behavior factor included items about parents intervening in the emerging adults’ lives and the affective response factor included items about how the emerging adults felt about the reported parental intervention. Findings supported a mediation model where parental behavior was related to maladaptive perfectionism through the construct of affective response. These findings document the importance of understanding behaviors associated with helicopter parenting as well as individual differences in how emerging adults interpret and respond to those behaviors.

Parental Discipline During Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Centered Approach

“…Specifically, the current study does not suggest that approving parents will have successful children, and that children who follow their parents’ wishes will stop their parents from being harsh. For example, many college students who experience a great deal of academic success report having problematic perfectionistic tendencies related to how they are parented (Hayes & Turner, 2021). Indeed, research indicates that correlates of parental discipline are complex as high between- and within-group heterogeneity exists (Boele et al, 2020), methodological inconsistencies cloud the issue (Farber & Gee, 2020), and a plethora of other confounds including parental stress (Niu et al, 2018) and psychopathology (McKinney, Brown et al, 2018) influence findings.…”

The Mediating Role of Perfectionism and the Need for Social Approval in the Effect of Helicopter Parenting on Psychological Well-Being in Emerging Adults

“…A helicopter parenting style can affect the perfection of children. Intervention and management can convey messages of high standards and fear of failure to the child (Hayes & Turner, 2021). If a parent is worried about his child's success and is afraid of failure, he may show more helicopter parenting behaviors to help him make fewer mistakes (Nelson, 2010;Segrin et al, 2013).…”

“…Anxious parents may interfere with their children more frequently, and this intensive parental intervention may contribute to the child's self-criticism and perfectionism. In addition, fear of failure and high standards lay the groundwork for the development of maladaptive perfectionism in children (Hayes & Turner, 2021). Individuals with maladaptive perfectionism are defined as those who are extremely afraid of criticism and criticism, experience the anxiety of making mistakes, give excessive importance to order, and expect complete and complete appreciation (Rice and Preusser, 2002).…”

“…Soonens et al (2005) discovered that parental control was positively associated with maladaptive perfectionism. This relationship may be more important and evident in emerging adulthood, a period when young people make important decisions about their future (Hayes & Turner, 2021). Perfectionism is also associated with the need for social approval.…”

Advancing understanding of overparenting and child adjustment: Mechanisms, methodology, context, and development

“…Overparenting is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of parent involvement and use of control in the child's affairs. Overparenting can include high levels of parental protection, monitoring, and information-seeking, privacy invasion, or the removal of obstacles and resolution of problems on the child's behalf (Hayes & Turner, 2021), and otherwise "smooth [ing] out" the path to success for the child (Locke et al, 2012;Miller & Bromwich, 2019).…”