An examination of relationship between mothers’ early maladaptive schemas and maladaptive parenting styles

Introduction: This study aims to examine relationship between mothers’ early maladaptive schemas and maladaptive parenting styles. Method: The sample consists of 630 mothers having a primary school child. They were picked using cluster sampling from Tehran's public primary schools. Participants answered The Parenting Style Inventory and Young Schema Questionnaire. Afterwards, the data was analyzed by Pearson Correlation’s and Multiple Regression. Results: the results show a direct and linear relationship between mothers' early maladaptive schemas and parental maladaptive styles. The result of the multiple regression also indicates that authoritarian parenting style can be explained by abandonment/instability, mistrust/abuse and entitlement/grandiosity's schemas; indulgent parenting style can be explained by abandonment/instability and defectiveness/shame's schemas as well. Conclusion: Parental maladaptive styles of mothers residing in Tehran, are somewhat influenced by their maladaptive schemas; Thus, education of rational beliefs really count to adaptive parenting styles.