The Relationship between perceived parenting styles and cognitive flexibility in university students: the mediating role of identity styles

The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship of perceived parenting styles and cognitive flexibility, identity styles with mediating role of identity styles. Path analysis was used to analyze the data. The study community included all students of Tabriz University in academic year 1402, that among them 206 students were selected as a sample using the available sampling method using Klein's formula. Research questionnaires included Parental authority questionnaire by buri (1991), Cognitive flexibility inventory dennis and vander wal (2010), and identity styles inventory by Berzonsky (1992). data were analyzed by path analysis using AMOS24 and SPSS26. Findings showed that perceived parenting styles has directly (p < 0.01) and indirectly related to cognitive flexibility with mediating the role of identity styles. also, the research model had an acceptable fit. Perceived parenting styles had a relationship with cognitive flexibility through the mediating role of informational identity style (p < 0.01). Additionally, perceived parenting styles had a relationship with levels of cognitive flexibility through the mediating role of confused-avoidant identity style (p < 0.05); however, no mediating relationship was observed for normative identity style It can be concluded that the perceived parenting styles play a critical role in student cognitive flexibility (p < 0.05).