Parenting Style, Perfectionism, and Creativity in High-Ability and High-Achieving Young Adults

The current study explores the potential relationships among perceived parenting style, perfectionism, and creativity in a high-ability and high-achieving young adult population. Using data from 323 honors college students at a Midwestern university, bivariate correlations suggested positive relationships between (a) permissive parenting style and creativity and (b) authoritarian parenting style and socially prescribed perfectionism. Furthermore, negative relationships were also found between authoritarian parenting style and creativity. These relationships were further investigated using a path model that included control variables for gender and parent education level. Findings suggest statistically significant relationships between creativity and gender, authoritarian parenting and socially prescribed perfectionism, authoritarian parenting and creativity, and permissive parenting and creativity.