How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child
Physically, Academically and Socially
Allie Abraham
University of South Carolina
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child
Physically, Academically and Socially
Growing up everyone always has that one friend whose parents seem to “not care” and those
parents to tend to be uptight and controlling. Many developmental psychologists have long been
interested in how parents can impact a childs development. Children raised in dramatically
different environments can grow up to have remarkably similar personalities, while, children
who share a home and are raised in the same environment can grow up to have such different
personalities than one another. (Cherry) During the early 1960s, psychologist Diana Baumrind
conducted a study on more than 100 preschool-age children. (Baumrind, 1967) Using
observation, parent interviews and other research methods, Baumrind identified four important
dimensions of parenting: Disciplinary strategies, Warmth and nurturance, Communication styles
and Expectations of maturity and control. (Baumrind, 1967) Based on these dimenstions,
Baumrind suggested that most parents will display one of three parenting styles. Further research
also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). This report
will talk about the four different types of parenting and how these types of parenting can affect a
developing child socially, academically and physically, and also why do parenting styles differ.
Authoritarian Parenting
Children in this style of parenting are expected to follow strict rules and expectations brought
on by the parents. Going against the rules usually results in some form of punishment or threat.
Authoritarian parents often leave out the reasoning behind these rules. If a child asks for the
parent to explain, the parent might reply, "Because I said so." These parents often have very high
demands, and are not responsive to their children. According to Baumrind, these parents "are
obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation"
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
(Baumrind, D.1991). Having Authoritarian parents generally leads to children who are obedient
and proficient, but also have negative effects that impact the child. The child could develop low
self-esteem and inferiority complexes. They may get the feeling that they are not being seen or
heard. These children also tend to rank lower in happiness and social competence. Socially these
children as they develop they get the impression that you can get what you want; respect,
obedience, by simply overpowering those weaker and inferior to you. (Maccoby, E. E., &
Martin, J. A. 1983) So a child may turn to bullying or try to control those younger than them to
gain things they want; they start to model their parent’s ideas.
Authoritative Parenting
Like authoritarian parents, authoritative parents also establish rules and guidelines that their
children must follow, however authoritative parents are willing to listen to their children if they
have questions. If children don’t meet their parent’s expectations, they are more nurturing and
forgiving rather than punishing and cold. They realize parents themselves will influence their
adult children best through a positive and loving relationship with them. Baumrind suggests that
these parents monitor and layout clear standards for their children’s conduct. Their disciplinary
methods are supportive, rather than punitive (Baumrind, D.1991). Authoritative parenting tends
to result in children who are happy, capable and successful in life (Maccoby, 1992). A recent
study shows the importance of a positive relationship between parents and their adult children.
Emerging adulthood is a time when young adults need support, said Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, a
research professor of psychology at Clark University (Evans 2012). In this study, Caroline Barry,
associate professor of psychology at Loyola University and the research team set out to discover
the types of parenting styles evident when children become adults and what effects those
different styles have on emerging adults. The subjects were college students who were not
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
currently living at home. The results indicated authoritative parenting was associated with the
most positive outcomes. (Evans 2012) Children growing up with authoritative parents learn that
must respect their parent’s wishes but unlike authoritarian parents, children feel more
comfortable going and talking to their parents because they are more accepting.
Permissive Parenting
Permissive parents have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely
discipline their children because they have low expectations. According to Baumrind, permissive
parents "are more responsive than they are demanding. They are nontraditional and lenient, do
not require mature behavior, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation"
(Baumrind 1991). Permissive parents often take on the status of a friend more than that of a
parent figure. Permissive parenting has created a generation of entitlement children. These
children think they do not have to work hard to get where they want to go in life or in anything
they do. Their parents did not follow through with consequences for poor behavior, these people
are angry and demanding when they don't get their way. (Paul 2006) By not setting behavioral
limits and goals and not holding children responsible for falling short of those limits and goals,
parents are failing to teach children that they are responsible for their own behavior. Moreover,
children and adolescents from permissive families are susceptible to antisocial peer pressure
(Condry & Simon 1974; Steinberg 1987). In a recent study, permissive parenting was linked to
underage alcohol use; teens with permissive parents were three times more likely to engage in
heavy drinking and alcohol abuse. Because permissive parenting doesn’t involve high
expectations, children raised by parents with this style tend to grow up without a strong sense of
self-discipline. Since these parents have few requirements for mature behavior, children may
lack skills in social settings, such as sharing.
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
Uninvolved Parenting
In later years, researchers added this fourth style. An uninvolved parenting style is
characterized by very few demands, low responsiveness and little communication with the child.
These parents tend to fulfill the child's basic needs but overall they are generally detached from
their child's life. In some very extreme cases these children are sometimes even left to raise and
take care of themselves. The children of uninvolved parents generally perform poorly in nearly
every area of life. These children tend to display deficits in cognition, attachment, emotional
skills and social skills. Most children develop a fear of becoming dependent on other people
since they were brought up from a young age to take care of themselves without the aid of
anyone. Most children also feel constant fear and have anxiety or stress due to a lack of family
support, so some of these children will turn drugs and or alcohol to deal with the pain. Parents
who exhibit uninvolved parenting style were often said to of also been raised by uninvolved and
dismissive parents. Which is why as adults, they may find themselves repeating this same pattern
and modeling off that idea because it’s all they know. Other parents who display this style may
simply be so caught up in their busy lives with work or dealing with their own substance abuse
issues that they find it easier to take a hands-off approach to dealing with their children.
(Baumrind, D. 1991)
Why parenting styles differ
After learning about the impact of parenting styles on child development, you may wonder
why all parents don't utilize an authoritative parenting style considering it is most likely to
produce happy and confident children. Some potential causes include culture, family, parental
background, SES, educational level and religion. In a focus group study, 40 Chinese and Filipino
adolescents were asked what they though a good relationship with their parents meant to them.
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
Many said they got there care from the way their parents cared for them. This finding shows that
less obvious behaviors may be central to their understanding of good relationships and parental
support. (Van Campen, K. S., & Russell, S. T. 2010) Throughout this study there were several
different findings, for instance; Chinese American boys saw their fathers as providers, authority
figures and as a role model. Whereas; a Chinese American girl to have any type of connection or
closeness with their father is considered unrealistic. Many feel they have to hide secrets and their
own personal things from their fathers. In contrast, Filipino Americans, boys described their
fathers as friends as well as providers and girls described their fathers as affectionate. (Van
Campen, K. S., & Russell, S. T. 2010) While most Americans use the authoritative parenting
style researchers are starting to take notice in how Chinese mothers are superior. In one study of
Western American mothers and Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of the Western
American mothers agreed that to stress academics is not good for children while the Chinese
mothers didn’t agree and said that academic achievement reflects successful parenting. (Chua
2011) To Chinese mothers, if their children don’t excel in school it is considering a problem and
that parents were not doing their job in raising their children or child. Chinese parents can get
away with more than Western American parents because Chinese parents don’t worry about their
children’s self-esteem or psyche, they assume strength not fragility which results in them
behaving differently (Chua 2011). Chinese parents demand such high expectations; they are
preparing them for the future and letting them see what they themselves are truly capable of
while Western American parents try to respect their children and support their passions and
choices by being nurturing. Thus it is said that Chinese parenting is so superior and successful.
Overall, after research and reading articles authoritative parenting seems to be the best style
of parenting for successful outcomes of developing children. It shows that if you are firm and
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
have certain expectations, but are also warm towards your children and thus show that you care
and can communicate effectively with your child. While permissive and uninvolved parents tend
to have more of a negative impact on the developing child; causing them to later have issues with
ones-self. Across the articles you could see a pattern that the more the childs caregiver pulled
away from them the more problems the child would develop later on in life and also showed that
young developing children need a caregiver in their life, mentally, physically emotionally. Since
the research on different ethnic backgrounds, people of different SES and religion is so broad,
more, smaller studies should be done to really compare how people parent their children. More
research could enhance an interest in upcoming parents to want to be the “best parent” that they
can be, especially since the expectations in the way of living is rising now a days.
How Different Parenting Styles Affect a Child Physically, Academically and Socially.
References
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Chua, Amy. (2011 ) "Wall Street Journal." Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior. N.p., 8 Jan.Web.
Condry, J. & Simon, M. L. (1974). Characteristics of peer- and parent-oriented children. Journal of
Marriage and the Family, 36, 543-554
Evans, Whitney. "'Authoritative Parenting' Is Best for Young Adults, Studies Say."DeseretNews.com.
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Maccoby, E. E., & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent–child
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Paul, Margaret, Dr. "The Consequences of Permissive Parenting." Parenting:. N.p., 31 Dec. 2006. Web.
22 Nov. 2013.
Steinberg, L. (1987). Single parents, stepparents, and the susceptibility of adolescents to antisocial peer
pressure. Child Development, 58, 269-275.
Van Campen, K. S., & Russell, S. T. (2010).Cultural differences in parenting practices: What Asian
American families can teach us (Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families
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