From Cradle to Connection: Parenting Styles as Predictors of Need to Belong and Perception of Love in Young Adults

Abstract

The present study investigated the relationships between perceived parenting styles, need to belong, and perception of love among young adults in committed romantic relationships in Pakistan. A correlational cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from a purposive sample of 174 adults recruited from Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, and Mirpurkhas. Participants completed the Revised Perceived Parenting Styles Scale, the Need to Belong Scale, and the Perception of Love and Sex Scale. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and hierarchical regression analyses with Sobel z-test were conducted. Results indicated that authoritative parenting was positively associated with need to belong and perception of love, whereas authoritarian parenting demonstrated significant negative associations with both outcomes. Permissive parenting was not significantly associated with either variable. Need to belong emerged as a full mediator of the relationships between both authoritative and authoritarian parenting and perception of love. Findings underscore the enduring influence of early caregiving experiences on adult relational functioning within the Pakistani cultural context.