Prácticas parentales y niveles de satisfacción familiar en estudiantes de primer ciclo de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad de Cuenca, periodo académico septiembre 2023- febrero 2024

Abstract

Entering university implies significant changes in an individual, with the family serving as a crucial support network. The family's influence is manifested through emotional support and the provision of resources through specific parenting practices. Family satisfaction is considered a key indicator for understanding dynamics within the family core. In the first university semester, the relevance of the family in the emotional and social aspects of students is recognized. Therefore, this research aimed to describe parenting practices and levels of family satisfaction in first-semester students at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Cuenca, taking into account various sociodemographic variables. The study employed a quantitative approach, a non-experimental descriptive design, and a cross-sectional scope. The Parental Practices Questionnaire and The Family Satisfaction by Adjectives Scale (FSAS) was utilized. Nonsampling was used, as selection was based on inclusion criteria, resulting in 82 participants,

including 61 females and 21 males, and an average age of 18.64 years. The results reveal that

the

Positive Responses (Affection) parenting practice (M=27,85; SD=5,46) was the most frequent among both genders and foreign students, while non-foreign students showed a higher perception of Autonomy Support. Additionally, it is observed that females exhibit low levels of family satisfaction (47.7%), males show a medium level (37.92%), and foreign students report a medium level of family satisfaction. In conclusion, this study has unveiled significant findings that underscore the importance of the family's role in any individual's developmental stage.