What Is Best for Your Children? Authoritative vs. Indulgent Parenting Styles

and Psychological Adjustment of Spanish Adolescents

Enrique Gracia, Fernando Garcia, and Marisol Lila

University of Valencia, Spain

Abstract A growing body of research suggests that the authoritative style of parenting is not always necessarily associated with optimum psychological and social outcomes among adolescents. This paper analyzed the relationships between parenting styles and adolescents' psychological adjustment using a two-dimension four-typology model of parenting styles, with the aim to determine which style of parenting Authoritative vs. indulgent was associated with optimum psychological adjustment outcomes among Spanish adolescents. Parenting styles were measured with the Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire (Rohner, 1990). The outcome measures were six indicators of psychological adjustment measured with the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (Rohner, 1990). Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVAs) were conducted with a sample of 489 Spanish children. Results suggest that adolescents of indulgent families do perform equal or even better in measures of psychological adjustment than adolescents from authoritative households. Authoritarian and neglectful parenting was associated, in general, with the minimum adjustment of adolescents.

Research examining relat ionships be tween parent ing styles and

children's outcomes fo l l ow largely a four typo logy mode l of parental

socialization styles. In 1983, Maccoby and Mar t in proposed, af ter Baumrind's

(1967, 1971) t r ipar t i te model—authori tat ive-authori tar ian-permissive—a

bidimensional mode l of parental social ization in wh ich the dimensions

demandingness and responsiveness were theoret ical ly o r thogona l (Darl ing

113

Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment

self-report methods for substance use provided valid data (Johnston & O'Malley, 1985; Morgan, 1997), and similar results have been obtained on parenting styles in spite of different methods of data collection (see Baumrind, 1991, Lamborn et al., 1991; Steinberg et al., 1994). Second, the study was cross-sectional and hence did not provide the possibility to test causal hypotheses. It is possible that adolescents' outcomes influence their parents' child-rearing styles rather than vice versa (see Maccoby, 2000).

Considering the above mentioned limitations, this study was able to show that the authoritative style was not better than the indulgent style for predicting psychological adjustment. The study reinforces the idea that the relationship between parenting styles and adolescents' adjustment is not constant among cultures, and questions the idea that the authoritative style of parenting is always associated with optimum developmental outcomes. For the Spanish culture, our results suggest that adolescents from indulgent families score equal or even higher on several indicators of psychological adjustment that adolescents from authoritative families. At least with respect to psychological adjustment, the combination of high levels of parental warmth and involvement with low levels of control appears to be the best parenting strategy in the Spanish context. Values in family relationships such as equality and tolerance, as well as toward a more permissive and democratic modes of child rearing that tend to characterize contemporary Spanish families seems to support the advantages of the indulgent style of parenting (Alberdi, 1999; Gracia & Herrero, in press; Lila, Van Acken, Musitu, & Buelga, 2006). Future research would need to examine the relationship between parenting styles and a wider range of developmental outcomes for children and adolescents.

References

Alberdi, I. (1999). La nueva familia espanola [The new Spanish family]. Madrid, Spain: Taurus.

Baumrind, D., & Black, A. E. (1967). Socialization practices associated with dimensions of competence in preschool boys and girls. Child Development, 38, 291-327.

124

Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment

Baumrind, D. (1991). Parenting styles and adolescent development In J. Brooks-Gunn, R. Lemer, & A. G. Petersen (Eds.), The encyclopedia of adolescence. New York: Garland.

Baumrind, D. (1967). Child cares practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75, 43-88.

Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monograph, 4 (1, Pt. 2).

Bersabe, R., Fuentes, M. J., & Motrico, E. (2001). Psychometric analysis of two scales to evaluate parents' educational styles. Psicothema, 13, 678-684.

Chao, R. K. (1994). Beyond parental control and authoritarian parenting style: Understanding Chinese parenting through the cultural notion of training. Child Development, 65,1111-1119.

Chao, R. K. (2001). Extending research on the consequences of parenting style for Chinese Americans and European Americans. Child Development, 72,1832-1843.

Darling, N., & Steinberg, L (1993). Parenting style as context: An integrative model. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 487-496.

Deater-Deckard, K., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., & Pettit, G. S. (1996). Physical discipline among African American and European American mothers: Links to children's externalizing behaviors. Developmental Psychology, 32,1065-1072.

Dombusch, S., Ritter, P., Liederman, P., Roberts, D., & Fraieigh, M. (1987). The relation of parenting style to adolescent school performance. Child Development, 58,1244-1257.

Dwairy, M., Achoui, M., Abouserie, R., & Farah, A. (2006). Adolescent-family connectedness among Arabs: A second cross-regional research study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37, 248-261.

Gouveia, V. V., Clemente, M., & Espinosa, P. (2003). The horizontal and vertical attributes of individualism and collectivism in a Spanish population. Journal of Social Psychology, 143, 43-63.

Gracia, E. (1995). Visible but unreported: A case for the "not serious enough" cases of child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 9,1083-1093.

Gracia, E. (2002). El maltrato infantil en el contexto de la conducta parental: Percepciones de padres e hijos [Child maltreatment in the context

125

Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment

of parental behavior: Children and parents perceptions of]. Psicothema, 14, 274-279.

Gracia, E., & Herrero, J. (In press). Is it considered violence? The acceptability of physical punishment of children in Europe: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family.

Gracia, E., & Musitu, G. (1997). Parental acceptance-rejection, child maltreatment and community social support. International Journal of Child and Family Welfare, 2, 232-246.

Gracia, E., Lila, M., & Musitu, G. (2005). Rechazo parental y ajuste psicologico y social de los hijos parental [Parental rejection and psychological adjustment of children]. Salud Mental, 28, 73-81.

Gray, M. R., & Steinberg, L (1999). Unpacking authoritative parenting: Reassessing a multidimensional construct. Journal of Marriage and

the Family, 61, 574-587.

Hindin, M. J. (2005). Family dynamics, gender differences and educational attainment in Filipino adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 28, 299-316.

Johnston, L, & O'Malley, P. M. (1985). Issues of validity and population coverage in student surveys of drug use. In B. A. Rouse, N. J. Kozel & L G. Richards (Eds.), Self-report methods of estimating drug use: Meeting current challenges to validity (Vol. (ADM) 85-1402, pp. NIDA Research Monograph No. 57, 31-54). Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse Research.

Kim U., 81 Chun, M. (1994) Educational "success" of Asian Americans: an indigenous perspective. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, ^, 329-343-

Kim, K., & Rohner, R. P. (2002). Parental warmth, control, and involvement in schooling: Predicting academic achievement among Korean American adolescents. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33, 127-140.

Lamborn, S. D., Mounts, N. S., Steinberg, L, & Dornbusch, S. M. (1991). Patterns of competence and adjustment among adolescents from authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful families. Child Development, 62,1049-1065.

126

Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment

Lewis, C. C. (1981). The effects of parental firm control: A reinterpretation of findings. Psychological Bulletin, 90, 547-563.

Lila, M., & Gracia, E. (2005). Determinantes de la aceptacion-rechazo parental [Determinants of parental acceptance-rejection]. Psicothema, 17, 107-111.

Lila, M., Garcia, F., & Gracia, E. (2007). Perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's outcomes in Colombia. Social Behavior and Personality, 35,115-124.

Lila, M., Van Aken, M. A. G., Musitu, G., & Buelga, S. (2006). Families and adolescents. In S. Jackson, & L. Goossens (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent development (pp. 154-174). London: Psychology Press.

Maccoby, E. E. (2000). Parenting and its effects on children: On reading and misreading behavior genetics. Annual Review of Psychology, 57,1-27.

Maccoby, E. E., & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In Handbook of child psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 1-101), Mussen P. H. (Ed.). New York: Wiley.

Marchetti, B. (1997). Concetto di se'relazioni familiari e valori [Relations between family and value concepts]. Unpublished Masters thesis. Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Italy.

Martinez, I., Garcia, J. F., & Yubero, S. (2007). Parenting styles and adolescents' self-esteem in Brazil. Psychological Reports, 100, 731-745.

Martfnez, I., Musitu, G., Garci'a, J. F., & Camino, L. (2003). Un analisis transcultural de los efectos de la socializacion familiar en el autoconcepto: Espafia y Brasil [A cross-cultural analysis of the effects of family socialization on self-concept: Spain and Brazil]. Psicologia, Educacao e Cultura, 7, 239-258.

Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A., Gual, P., Lahortiga, F., Alonso, Y., de Irala-Estevez, J., & Cervera S. (2003). Parental factors, mass media influences, and the onset of eating disorders in a prospective population-based cohort. Pediatrics, 111, 315-320.

Mcbride-Chang, C, & Chang, L. (1998) Adolescent-parent relations in Hong Kong: parenting styles, emotional autonomy, and school achievement. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 159, 421-436.

Morgan, M. (1997). EMCDDA instrument bank: Core scales, sources and

127

Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment

guidelines. A report to the EMCDDA. Lisbon, Portugal: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

Musitu, G., & Garcia, J. F. (2001). ESPA2^. Escala de Socializacion Parental en la Adolescencia [Parental Socialization Scale in Adolescence]. Madrid, Spain: TEA ediciones.

Musitu, G., & Garcia, J. F. (2004). Consecuencias de la socializacion familiar en la cultura espafiola [Consequences of the family socialization in the Spanish culture]. Psicothema, 16, 297-302.

Quoss, B., & Zhao, W. (1995). Parenting styles and children's satisfaction with parenting in China and the United States. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 26, 265-280.

Rohner, R. P., & Khaleque, A. (2005). Handbook for the study of parental acceptance and rejection (4th Edition). Storrs, CT: Rohner Research Publications.

Rohner, R. P., & Pettengill, S. M. (1985). Perceived parental acceptance-rejection and parental control among Korean adolescents. Child Development, 56, 524-528.

Rohner, R. P. (1990). Handbook for the study of parental acceptance and rejection (3rd Edition). Storrs, CT: Rohner Research Publications.

Smetana, J. G. (1995). Parenting styles and conceptions of parental authority during adolescence. Child Development, 66, 299-315.

Steinberg, L, Mounts, N. S., Lamborn, S. D., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1991) Authoritative parenting and adolescent adjustment across varied ecological niches. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 1,19-36.

Steinberg, L., Dornbusch, S. M., & Brown, B. B. (1992). Ethnic differences in adolescent achievement: An ecological perspective. American Psychologist, 47, 723-729.

Steinberg, L., Lamborn, S., Darling, N., Mounts, N., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1994). Over-time changes in adjustment and competence among adolescents from authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful families. Ch/ld Development, 65, 754-770.

Tobin, J. J., Wu, D. Y. H., & Davidson, D. H. (1989). Preschool in three cultures: Japan, China, and the United States. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

128

Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment

Torres-Villa, M. S. (1995). Parenting styles, language and parents1 education as predictors of school achievement for Hispanic students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Georgia State University, Atlanta.

Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism and collectivism. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Triandis, H. C. (2001). Individualism-collectivism and personality. Journal of Personality, 69, 907-924.

Villalobos, J. A., Cruz, A. V., & Sanchez, P. R. (2004). Estilos parentales y desarrollo psicosocial en estudiantes de Bachillerato [Parental styles and psychosocial development in High-School students]. Revista Mexicana de Psicologia, 21,119-129.

Wang, Q., & Li, J. (2003). Chinese children's self-concepts in the domains of learning and social relations. Psychology in the Schools, 40, 85-101.

Wolfradt, U., Hempel, S., & Miles, J. N. V. (2003). Perceived parenting styles, depersonalisation, anxiety and coping behaviour in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 34, 521-532.

129

AC

CE

PT

AN

CE

: T

HE

ES

SE

NC

E O

F P

EA

CE

SE

LE

CT

ED

P

AP

ER

S

FR

OM

TH

E F

IRS

T

INT

ER

NA

TIO

NA

L C

ON

GR

ES

S

ON

INT

ER

PE

RS

ON

AL

AC

CE

PT

AN

CE

AN

D

RE

JEC

TIO

N

FA

TO

§ E

RK

MA

N,

ED

ITO

R

ACCEPTANCE: THE ESSENCE OF PEACE

I

ACCEPTANCE:

THE ESSENCE OF PEACE

SELECTED PAPERS

FROM THE

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

ON

INTERPERSONAL ACCEPTANCE

AND REJECTION

held in Istanbul, Turkey June, 2006

Edited by Fato§ Erkman

i

.̂ p\og/a/.

* 1Q7fi * * 1976

©2008 Turkish Psychology Association Istanbul Branch

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission from the Turkish Psychology Association.

Turkish Psychology Association TPD Istanbul $ubesi Huseyin Aga Mahallesi, Mes.rutiyet Cad. No: 10 Galatasaray - istanbul Phone: +90 (212) 251 66 62 - 251 66 61 - 251 7111 e-mail: tpdist@ttnet.net.tr www.psikolog.org

Incekara Press Litros Yolu, Ikinci Matbaalar Sitesi BBIokNon BB 5 Topkapi, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 (212) 501 08 83

Press Date June 2008

ii

CONTENTS

R. P. Rohner. Foreword

F. Erkman. Preface and Acknowledgments

Section I. Psychological Adjustment and Clinical Issues

S. A. Rigazio-DiGilio, R. P. Rohner.

Clinical Adaptation of Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory Questionnaires as Interactive Assessment and Treatment Tools in Relational Therapy

R. Alcazar-Olan.

Patients' Expectations, Perceptions of Their Therapists, and Attendance to Two or More Sessions

A. Alegre, M. Benson.

Parental Acceptance and its Relation to Late Adolescents' Adjustment: The Role of Emotional Intelligence

E. Kross, P. Clasen.

Neural Processes in Rejection Sensitivity: Differences in Emotional Appraisal or Control?

Section II. Family Interaction and Styles of Parenting

B. Yilmaz, F. Erkman.

Understanding Social Anxiety Through Adolescents' Perceptions of Interparental Conflict and Parental Rejection

S. N. Georgiou, C. Constantinides, T. Mouskounti.

Maternal Responsiveness and Child Victimization at School

E. Gracia.

What is Best for Your Children? Authoritative vs. Indulgent Parenting Styles and Psychological Adjustment of Spanish Adolescents

iii

Section III. Resilience and Coping with Perceived Rejection

I. Lavi, M. Slone.

Parental Warmth, Parental Control, and Child Resilience: Cross-Cultural Aspects

O. Ayduk, A. Gyurak.

Cognitive Inhibitory Control As A Buffer Against Rejection Sensitivity

Section IV. Comparative Studies of Parental Acceptance-Rejection

A. Khaleque, R. P. Rohner, Z. Nahar.

Agreement Between Children's and Mothers' Perceptions of Maternal Acceptance-Rejection: A Comparative Study of Mothers and Children in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi Immigrant Mothers and Children in the United States

H.Barry, III.

Six Cultural Customs Associated with Gentle Affection for Children

R. A. Ahmed.

Review of Arab Research on Parental Acceptance-Rejection

A. Khaleque, R. P. Rohner, Z. Nahar, A. H. Sharif.

Acculturation and Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Control of Bangladeshi Immigrant Children and Parents in America

H. K. L Fente, I. N. Singh.

Cognitive Styles in Relation to Perceived Parental Rejection and Warmth Across Patrilineal and Matrilineal Cultures

Section V. Methodological Issues

S. Keskin, F. Erkman.

Validity, Reliability, And Partial Norm Study Of The Turkish Teacher's Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire: Child,-Short Form

iv