MACOBY & MARTIN'S CLASSIFICATION OF PARENTING PATTERNS
This model is predicated on the earlier research of Diane Baumrind (1976). According to Baumrind,
parental child rearing practices influence the child's progress towards becoming a capable adult.
Parents can foster individuation and psychological maturity by HOW they exercise and demonstrate
their authority, their affection for the child, and their interest and involvement with the child.
Research has confirmed that patterns of parental authority can be described in terms of how
DEMANDING and RESPONSIVE parents are towards the child. PARENTAL
DEMANDINGNESS refers to establishing expectations and rules of conduct for children and
monitoring their commitment to these expectations and their compliance with these rules.
PARENTAL RESPONSIVENESS refers to being sensitive to children's needs, being
supportive of the child's efforts, and being interested in the thoughts, feelings, and activities of
the child. Working with these dimensions, Baumrind (1968,1971,1976) was able to
demonstrate 3 separate parental styles - AUTHORITATIVE, INDULGENT,
AUTHORITARIAN. It was the further work of Macoby & Martin (1983) which identified the
NEGLECTING parent style.
AUTHORITATIVE PARENT - These parents are caring and warm, make appropriate
demands of the child and execute reasonable punishments for violations of rules. They tend to
use inductive discipline which involves explaining the purpose of rules, the costs for violation
of the rules, and an openness to discuss and modify the rule. Research has found that children
from these homes are self-reliant, socially competent, and report fewer problems.
AUTHORITARIAN PARENT - These parents exercise firm control on the basis of power
assertion. They set forth rules in an arbitrary fashion, are more likely to make excessive
demands, and to utilize harsh punishments. Often, they believe that children should be in a
subordinate role and should have their autonomy severely limited. These parents may be
unresponsive to the needs of the child and may be low in affection for the child. Child with
authoritarian parents demonstrate lower levels of social competence and self-reliance. Child
often wants to avoid the parent from whom he/she feels alienated.
INDULGENT PARENT - These parents are responsive to their children but do not place
few demands or restrictions on the child. Parents believe that complete trust in the child and a
minimal amount of restrictions is most beneficial to the parent-child relationship. Parent's
philosophy is to glorify freedom and to perceive that restrictions limit growth. Children from
these homes have been shown to have difficulty with impulsivity and goal setting. They have
been found to have more behavior problems and a less positive orientation toward school.
They may be more socially competent & self-reliance than children from authoritarian &
neglecting homes.
NEGLECTING PARENT - These parents are unresponsive to the needs, feelings, and
activities of the child. They exert little control over the child and are disengaged from child
rearing responsibilities. These parents are detached from the child, indifferent to his/her
needs, display little interest in the child's activities, spends little time in direct interaction with
child. Children from these homes have been found to have significantly more problems
related to school misconduct, drug use, delinquency, anxiety, depression, and somatic
complaints. They were less socially competent, self-reliant, received poorer grades, and have
less favorably attitudes toward school.
MACOBY & MARTIN MODEL (1983)
PARENTING STYLES AND CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR
ACCEPTING
REJECTING
RESPONSIVE
UNRESPONSIVE
CHILD-CENTERED PARENT-CENTERED
DEMANDING
AUTHORITATIVE
CONTROLLING
RESTRICTIVE
AUTHORITARIAN
RECIPROCAL
HIGH IN 2-WAY
POWER ASSERTIVE
COMMUNICATION
UNDEMANDING
LOW IN CONTROL
PERMISSIVE
INDULGENT
PERMISSIVE
LAISSEZ-FAIRE
NEGLECTING
INDIFFERENT
UNINVOLVED
PARENT TYPES
SECURE - These parents are confident of their techniques. If they make a mistake, they are able to
change their approach with no harm done. They assume they will cope successfully and look on parent
as exciting.
INSECURE - This parent believes that everything they do inevitably influences their child's destiny.
Often feel overwhelmed by role of parent; anything to do with child perceived as a major stressor. Do
not see that when things go well it was partly due to them --> external locus of control.
INTIMIDATED - This parent demonstrates a consistent lack of ability to be firm (strictness) with
their children. Motivation to appease children may be fear of doing a "bad job" or "not being loved" by
child OR anxiety about role of parent & ability to perform role OR guilt about being firm & denying
child's wishes OR stress (role conflict/role overload/role expectation).
OVER-INTERPRETIVE - This parent feels a strong need to analyze and explore every nuance of a
child's thoughts, feelings, and actions. Feel compelled to examine in depth the complex psychological
meanings and motivations behind their child's behavior.
VICTIMIZED - This parent feels betrayed, unappreciated, and as if life is unfair when things do not
work out as planned. They view child's problems/misbehavior as proof of the unfairness of life,
especially in light of all that they have sacrificed and done for the child.
PATHOLOGICAL - This parent suffers from some form of mental illness which interferes with their
role functions of parent. This person may not be emotionally available to child à may not be able to
provide affection, supervision, and interaction.
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