The Role of Parenting Style in Shaping Academic Perfectionism: A Comparative Study between Students of Kurdistan and Kermanshah Provinces

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to compare academic perfectionism and the role of parenting styles among elementary school students in the provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah. The research method was descriptive and of a cross-sectional-comparative type. The statistical population included all elementary school students in these two provinces during the 2024-2025 academic year, from whom 400 individuals (200 from Kurdistan and 200 from Kermanshah) were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. To collect data, the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) by Flett et al. (2016) and the Baumrind Parenting Style Questionnaire (PAQ) by Baumrind (1991) were used. The reliability of the instruments was reported as satisfactory using Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and independent t-test and Pearson correlation statistical tests. The findings showed that the mean academic perfectionism in students of Kurdistan was significantly higher than that of Kermanshah. Furthermore, the results indicated that the authoritarian parenting style has a positive and significant relationship with perfectionism, while the authoritative style is more prominent in Kermanshah and the authoritarian style is more prominent in Kurdistan. Based on the results, parenting style plays an important role in shaping students' perfectionism, and it is necessary to move towards authoritative styles through parental education.