Modeling the Mediating Effects of the Function of Thinking Styles in Causal Relationship Perceptions of Parenting Styles and Motivational Orientations

This study is aims to present the causal model of the effect of perceptions of parenting styles on motivational orientations with regard to the mediating role of the function of thinking styles. The research method was correlation of the path type analysis. 352 people were selected by stratified random sampling from undergraduate students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, who answered the questionnaires of Baumrind parenting styles, Sternberg and Wagner thinking styles and the academic motivation scale of Vallerand et al. Data analysis was performed by path analysis by AMOS software. The results showed that authoritative and permissive parenting styles have a positive and negative effect on internal motivation, respectively; but authoritarian style had no direct effect on intrinsic motivation. Parenting styles did not have a direct effect on external motivation; but among parenting styles, only authoritarian style had a positive effect on amotivation. Executive thinking style had a positive and significant effect on internal and external motivation. Authoritative parenting style mediated by executive thinking style can increase students' internal and external academic motivation. Therefore, the tendency of families to have an authoritative educational style influences the choice of children's thinking style and internalization of academic motivation.