The Impacts of Parenting Style and Perceived Childhood Attachment on Children’s Concept of God

Abstract

Background:: Children are first educated in their families. Parents by adapting different parenting styles consciously and in most cases unconsciously teach their children important educational doctrines. Objectives:: This study aimed to determine the impacts of parenting style and perceived childhood attachment on children’s concept of God. In this descriptive correlational study, 375 students of Islamic Azad university of Birjand were selected via multi-stage sampling. Materials and Methods:: The subjects completed the questionnaires related to parenting style, perceived parental attachment, and concept of God. The obtained model was a good fit for the data, and the psychological pattern revealed that controlling parenting style (insecure mother-child attachment) promotes dependence on God and encourages the perception of God as a controller. Also, supportive parenting via forming parent-child attachments (insecure father-child attachment) could predict the child’s view of God as a controller. Results:: Good parenting style was not directly correlated with the perception of God; however, it could improve one’s positive perception of God through increasing or decreasing attachment to parents. In addition, poor and rejecting parenting style both directly and indirectly affects the concept of God by increasing children’s mistrust toward parents and decreasing dependence on God. Conclusions:: Uncaring, rejecting parenting style is more remarkable in decreasing positive attitudes toward God, compared to authoritative parenting style.