A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE-REJECTION, REJECTION SENSITIVITY AND EMPATHY IN YOUNG ADULTS BELONGING TO MILITARY AND CIVILIAN FAMILIES

It is widely acknowledged that parental influence is crucial for the overall development of a child. The key to shaping a child's personality and behavior is understanding the individual differences in the relationship between a child and his or her parents. The present study was conducted on young adults belonging to military and civilian families between the ages 17-23. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the three variables, i.e. Parental Acceptance- Rejection (PAR), Rejection sensitivity and Empathy and to analyze the effect of the dimensions of Parental Acceptance-Rejection in the levels of Rejection sensitivity and Empathy respectively among the sample of young adults belonging to military and civilian families. The difference between the dimensions of PAR in father and mother was also studied along with the difference in the levels of the dimensions of Parental Acceptance- Rejection (PAR), Rejection sensitivity and Empathy. The results of the present study showed a correlation between the three variables i.e. the dimensions of Parental Acceptance-Rejection (PAR), Rejection sensitivity and Empathy. It also showed a significant difference among the young adults belonging to military and civilian families in the levels of the dimensions of Parental Acceptance-Rejection, Rejection sensitivity and Empathy.