Perceived Dependency - and Achievement - Oriented Parental Psychological Control and Self-Directed Learning Ability among College Students

This study aimed to examine the relationship between college students’ perceived parental psychological control and their self-directed learning ability, with particular attention to parental gender and types of psychological control. Participants were 150 college students aged 18 to 29 years. Data were collected between January 6 and May 27, 2025, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and multiple regression analyses. The results showed that perceived levels of parental psychological control were generally low, with maternal psychological control reported as higher than paternal psychological control. Gender differences were observed in students’ perceptions of parental psychological control. Multiple regression analyses indicated that parental psychological control did not significantly predict most sub-factors of self-directed learning ability. However, maternal dependency-oriented psychological control (DPC) was found to have a significant negative effect on learning initiative and independence, a sub-factor of self-directed learning ability. In contrast, achievement-oriented psychological control (APC) and paternal psychological control did not show significant effects. These findings suggest that the influence of parental psychological control on college students’ self-directed learning ability may be limited and selective, depending on parental gender and the type of psychological control. The results highlight the importance of considering cultural context and developmental stage when interpreting the effects of parental psychological control and provide implications for educational and counseling interventions aimed at promoting self-directed learning among college students in Korea.