Parenting Styles and Marriage Decision Self-Confidence: A Review and Empirical Analysis within the Indian Context

Abstract

Parenting style is a critical determinant of an individual's emotional growth, autonomy, and decision-making abilities. In the Indian socio-cultural environment, where marriage is often a collective family decision, understanding the factors that influence marital decision confidence is essential. This paper reviews current literature on parenting typologies and presents empirical findings from a study of 104 unmarried Indian adults. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between authoritative ($r = .276, p = .005$) and permissive ($r = .306, p = .002$) parenting styles with marriage decision self-confidence. Conversely, authoritarian parenting demonstrated a non-significant negative trend. These findings highlight the enduring impact of early family environments on significant adult life choices.