Theses and Dissertations

Advisor

Burke, Benjamin M.

Committee Member

Hardman, Alisha

Committee Member

Phillips, Tommy M.

Committee Member

Swortzel, Kirk A.

Date of Degree

12-12-2025

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Human Development and Family Science

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

School of Human Sciences

Abstract

This work investigates how parenting styles relate to the development of career identity in emerging adults and whether differentiation of self helps explain those links. Using a two?manuscript format with a shared dataset of U.S. undergraduates (n =148), parenting behavior (i.e., warmth and control) was assessed alongside career identity constructs (career exploration and commitment); a second study added differentiation of self as a possible mediator of these relationships. Manuscript 1 examined whether parenting styles are associated with Marcia-based career identity outcomes. After deriving identity groupings consistent with achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, and diffusion, multinomial models indicated that more autonomy?supportive, high-warmth parenting was associated with a greater likelihood of an achieved career identity and a lower likelihood of diffused or moratorium statuses relative to more controlling or low-warmth parenting. Manuscript 2 evaluated a mediation model in which parental care and control were specified to predict exploration and commitment directly and indirectly through differentiation of self. Results showed no significant indirect effects via differentiation of self and no reliable positive associations between differentiation and the career identity constructs. By contrast, parental care/warmth emerged as a significant direct predictor of both exploration and commitment, whereas controlling tendencies showed weaker or inconsistent links with career identity constructs. Taken together, findings highlight the central role of warm, autonomy?supportive parenting in fostering exploration and commitment during emerging adulthood, while providing little evidence that differentiation of self operates as the mechanism in this sample. Implications regarding career counseling and higher education practices are discussed.

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