Relation of negative parenting style with perception of pain and fear among young adults

Abstract

Parenting styles have been found to play a significant role in many psychological aspects of individuals. The present study attempts to understand the role of negative parenting style on perceptions, such as the experience of pain and fear, using an experimental design. Twenty one participants were made to go through a measure of perceived parenting styles (MOPS), followed by a strenuous exercise activity in a competitive situation. They were then subjected to three fear stimulating videos and were asked to rate perceived fearfulness of videos. After 24 hours, they were requested to rate the pain they experienced over the previous 24 hours on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. A positive pearson coefficient correlation was found between negative parenting style and pain perception. A similar positive correlation was found between negative parenting style and awareness of experience of fear. The relation between perception of fear and pain was found to be positive. Each correlation was followed by a t-test to test for significance. It was found that the triad of variables (parenting style, fear, pain) had a significant correlation with respect to all three relations. Since perception of pain and fear was more among those who were subjected to negative parenting style during their childhood days, it was concluded that childhood experiences with parents can have a significant impact on an individual's affective (fear) and cognition (pain perception) components of mental health. Moreover, fear may play a role in increasing the perception of pain. Clinical implications have been discussed.