THE ROLE OF PARENTAL BEHAVIOUR AND SELF-ESTEEM OF FATHER AND MOTHER ON SELF-ESTEEM AND SELFCONTROL OF BOYS AND GIRLS The aim of the research was to analyse the connection between parental behaviours and self-esteem of the parents on the self-esteem and self-control of the children. The pupils of the seventh and eighth grade of six primary schools in the area of the city of Zagreb and the city of Split and their parents participated in the research. The children filled out the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Brief Self-Control Scale and the Perception of Parental Behaviour Scale, while the parents filled out the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Regression analysis was used and it has determined that the parental control is the best predictor for the child’s self-esteem. Self-esteem of boys is better predicted by the sets of parental predictors and it is somewhat more connected with the father’s self-control, while self-esteem of girls is more connected with the mother’s self-control. Self-control of girls is best predicted by the mother’s acceptance and control, so that the sets of parental variables, more specifically the mother’s variables, are significant only for predicting self-control of girls. The assumption about the greater role of the mother in the development of self-esteem and self-control of children was confirmed, while the assumptions about the gender differentiation in upbringing were confirmed only in the case of the child’s self-control, but not in the case of their self-esteem, which shows that there are differences in the direction of transition towards more modern upbringing practices. The results, as well as the existing studies and theoretical assumptions, point out the importance of the parental role as the model for the development of the child’s self-esteem and self-control, and the different approaches in the upbringing of boys and girls can be addressed specifically.

The present study investigates some of the key elements of long-term happiness model. The main goal of this study was to examine the relationship between happiness-increasing strategies, personality traits and happiness level on the sample of Croatian students. A sample of 573 undergraduate students aged between 18 to 22 years, completed the List of HappinessIncreasing Strategies, Subjective Happiness Scale and the Croatian version of International Personality Item Pool -IPIP50. The results showed that females are generally happier than males. Comparing the frequency of use of happiness-increasing strategies between genders, females reported more often use of almost all happiness-increasing strategies (Social Affiliation, CognitiveBehavioural Interventions, Partying and Clubbing, Instrumental Goal Pursuit, Passive Leisure, Active Leisure and Religion), whereas males reported more often use of Sport and Hobby. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that gender, personality traits and strategies explain for 51.4% of the happiness variance. Gender explained about 3% of happiness variance, personality traits in the second step of variables explained for 41.1% of the happiness variance, and happinessincreasing strategies in the third step explained an additional 8% of the happiness variance. When we reversed the set of variables entered in the model, happiness-increasing strategies in the second step explained for 25% of the happiness variance and personality traits in the third step explained an additional 26% of the happiness variance. Regardless of what set of variables was entered in the second or third step, results showed the same significant variables in the final regression analysis: Extraversion, Emotional Stability, Party and Clubbing and Cognitive-Behavioural Interventions. The findings showed the importance of personal traits as well as happiness-increasing strategies in predicting happiness among Croatian students.