Effect of Parenting Style, Academic Environment and Gender on Feeling of Security-Insecurity in Adolescents

The present study was designed to explore the role of parenting style, academic environment and gender on feeling of security-insecurity in adolescents. For this purpose a sample of 160 Indian adolescents were selected through quota random sampling. A 2X2X2 factorial design was used to find out the effect of parenting style, academic environment and gender on feeling of securityinsecurity in adolescents. Obtain raw data were analyzed through Mean, SD and ANOVA. The results indicate that the parenting style, academic environment and gender have significant effect on the feeling of security-insecurity in adolescents.


INTRODUCTION
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development that generally occur during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (Macmillan, 1981; Merriam-Webster, 2012; Medline Plus, 2013) and this transitional developments depends on various factors in which parenting style play a key role in development . Parenting is a complex activity that include many specific behaviors that work individually and together to influence child outcomes . Psychologist Diana Baumrind (1971, Maccoby & Martin (1983) identified four patterns of parenting styles based upon two aspects of parenting behavior: control and warmth. Authoritative parents are warm but firm. They encourage their adolescent to be independent while maintain limits and control their actions. Authoritative parents engage in discussions and debates with their adolescents. Research makes it clear adolescents of authoritative parents learn how to negotiate and engage in discussion. They understand their opinions are valued. As a result they are more likely to be socially competent, responsible and autonomous.
Authoritarian display little warm and highly controlling. They are strict disciplinarians, use restrictive and insist that their adolescent follow parent's directions. Adolescents of authoritarian parents might display aggressive behaviors. Permissive parents are very warm but undemanding. As a result, adolescent may difficulty with self-control and demonstrate egocentric tendencies that can interfere with proper development of peer relations. Uninvolved parents are not warm and not to place any demands on their teen. As a result adolescent generally show impulsive patterns of behavior. These four different type of parenting effect the development of personality. Security-insecurity are two aspects which is highly determine by the personality of adolescent. Security is a state of freedom from any kind of danger to life while insecurity can be defined as emotional instability, feeling of rejection, inferiority anxiety, isolation, jealousy, hostility, irritability in consisting and tendency to accept the worst general permission or unhappy".

METHODOLOGY:
Objectives: 1. To study the effect of parenting style on felling of security-insecurity in adolescents. 2. To study the effect of academic environment on felling of security-insecurity in adolescents. 3. To study the effect of gender on feeling of security-insecurity in adolescents. 4. To study the interaction effect between parenting style and academic environment on feeling of security-insecurity in adolescents. 5. To study the interaction effect between parenting style and gender on feeling of securityinsecurity in adolescents. 6. To study the interaction effect between academic environment and gender on feeling of securityinsecurity in adolescents. 7. To study the interaction effect among parenting style, academic environment and gender on the feeling of security-insecurity in adolescents.

HYPOTHESES:
Following hypotheses were formulated for empirical verification in connection with the fulfillment of the objectives of the present study.

DESIGN OF THE STUDY:
A 2X2X2 experimental design was employed in the research. The first independent variable of the study was parenting style which was consisted of two groups, i.e. positive parenting style and negative parenting style. The second independent variable of the study was the academic environment that was varied at two levels, i.e. CBSE and U.P. Board. The third independent variable of the study was gender-consisted i.e. male and female. The dependent variable of the study was feeling of security-insecurity in adolescents.

Sample:
In the present research sample was consisted of 160 male and female adolescent students studied in XI and XII class at various CBSE and U.P. Board Colleges in Delhi NCR region. Subjects with the average age of 21 years were selected through quota-cum random sampling. Out of total subjects N=160; 80 subjects were selected who got positive parenting style and rest of 80 subjects got negative parenting style. Total sample of positive and negative parenting style groups was further divided into two sub groups (N=40 in each group) i.e. CBSE and U.P. Board, further divided in two sub groups (N=20) male and female.

Tools:
In this study following tools were used for the measurement of variables under the study

Personal data schedule:
Personal data sheet was prepared to collect the information about academic environment as positive and negative, class, age, gender, college name, etc.

Parenting style scale:
Parenting style scale has been used to measure the positive and negative parenting styles of parents of adolescent subjects. This scale was constructed by Dr. C.P. Khokhar (Gurukul kangri University, Haridwar) consisting a total 56 items divided into 7 dimensions (four positive and three negative). The test-retest reliability of the scale for both positive and negative dimensions was respectively 0.58 and 0.87 whereas the split-half reliability of the scale for both positive and negative dimensions was respectively 0.62 and 0.92. The construct validity of the scale for both positive and negative dimensions was found respectively 0.67 and 0.72.

The Security-insecurity scale:
Security-insecurity scale (Hindi version) originally was constructed by Govind Tiwari. This scale consisting a total 70 items including positive and negative. The split-half reliability of the scale was found 0.67. The test-retest reliability of the scale was found 0.73. The face validity of the scale was found 0.67.

Effect of Parenting Style, Academic Environment and Gender on Feeling of Security-Insecurity in Adolescents
© The International Journal of Indian Psychology | 31

RESULT:
Findings of the present study were presented in table-1.