2. Learning Objectives
• What are two basic dimensions of parenting?
• What patterns of childrearing emerge from these
dimensions?
3. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Two dimensions of parenting contribute to the
concept of parenting style
– Acceptance/Warmth-responsiveness refers to the extent
to which parents are supportive, sensitive to their
children’s needs, and willing to provide affection and
praise when their children meet their expectations
• Includes affection, praise, encouragement
• Less accepting and responsive parents are often quick
to criticize, belittle, punish, or ignore their children and
rarely communicate to children that they are loved and
valued
4. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Two dimensions of parenting contribute to the
concept of parenting style (continued)
– Demandingness-control (sometimes called
permissiveness-restrictiveness) refers to how much control
over decisions lies with the parent rather than with the
child
• Controlling and demanding parents set rules, expect
their children to follow them, and monitor their
children closely to ensure that the rules are followed
• Less controlling and demanding parents (often called
permissive parents) make fewer demands and allow
their children a great deal of autonomy to explore,
express opinions and emotions, and make decisions
5. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Four basic patterns of child rearing emerge from
crossing the acceptance and the demandingness
dimensions
– Authoritarian parenting
• This restrictive parenting style combines high
demandingness-control and low acceptanceresponsiveness
– Parents impose many rules, expect strict
obedience, rarely explain why the child should
comply with rules, and often rely on power tactics
such as physical punishment to gain compliance
6. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Four basic patterns of childrearing emerge from crossing
the acceptance and the demandingness dimensions
(continued)
– Authoritative parenting
• Authoritative parents are more flexible; they are demanding
and exert control, but they are also accepting and
responsive
• They set clear rules and consistently enforce them, but they
also explain the rationales for their rules and restrictions,
are responsive to their children’s needs and points of view,
and involve their children in family decision-making
• They are reasonable and democratic in their approach, but
they are in charge
• They communicate respect for their children
7. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Four basic patterns of childrearing emerge from
crossing the acceptance and the
demandingness dimensions (continued)
– Permissive parenting
• This style is high in acceptanceresponsiveness but low in
demandingness-control
• Permissive parents are indulgent with few
rules and few demands
• They encourage children to express their
feelings and impulses and rarely exert
control over their behavior
8. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Four basic patterns of childrearing emerge from crossing
the acceptance and the demandingness dimensions
(continued)
– Neglectful parenting
• Parents who combine low demandingness-control
and low acceptance-responsiveness are relatively
uninvolved in their children’s upbringing
• They seem not to care much about their children
and may even reject them
• Or, neglectful parents may be so overwhelmed by
their own problems that they cannot devote
sufficient energy to expressing love and setting
and enforcing rules
10. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Warm, responsive parenting is associated with secure
attachments to parents, academic competence, high selfesteem, good social skills, peer acceptance, and a strong
sense of morality
• Lack of parental acceptance and affection contributes to
depression and other psychological problems
• Diana Baumrind (1967, 1977, 1991) found that children
raised by authoritative parents were the best adjusted –
cheerful, socially responsible, self-reliant, achievement
oriented, and cooperative with adults and peers
– Children of authoritarian parents tended to be moody and
seemingly unhappy, easily annoyed, relatively aimless,
and unpleasant to be around
– Children of permissive parents were often impulsive,
aggressive, self-centered, rebellious, aimless, and low in
independence and achievement
11. The Child – Parenting Styles
• Subsequent research has shown that the worst
developmental outcomes are associated with the
neglectful, uninvolved style of parenting
– Children of neglectful parents display behavioral
problems such as aggression and frequent temper
tantrums as early as age 3
– They tend to become hostile and antisocial
adolescents who abuse alcohol and drugs and get in
trouble
• The link between authoritative parenting and positive
developmental outcomes is evident in most ethnic
groups and socioeconomic groups studied to date in the
United States and in a variety of other cultures
