Predictive Power of Parenting Styles on Children’s Social Skills

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parenting styles and children's social skills, establishing significant correlations between those two constructs. A total of 202 children, 7 to 10 years old, male and female, attending second to fourth year of government schools in São Paulo, Brazil, were participants of this research. They collectively completed Children's Social Skills Test (THAS-C) and Parental Styles Inventory (IEP). Results suggest that positive parental styles are predictors of altruism, while negative parental styles are predictors of assertiveness, conversation, and social confidence. Regarding general social skills, variables that offered the best probable model were positive monitoring, lax discipline, moral behavior, and physical abuse (the higher the general social skill, the lesser the abusive parenting styles). As a conclusion, it seems that different social skills are related to positive and negative parenting styles, reinforcing the idea of a social skill as an attribute of behavior.

Childrearing Practices and Children’s Behaviours: A Correlational Study Considering Gender and School Age of Children

“…Additionally, the research by Bartholomeu et al (2016) found that social skills as civility, apologizing, helping others, altruism, gratefulness, assertiveness were associated with positive and negative parental styles. This is the reason why studies should investigate associations between specific maternal and child's behaviours, aiming at better comprehending these kinds of data and findings.…”

Parental Legitimacy, Procedural Justice, and Compliance With Parental Rules Among Brazilian Preadolescents

“…There is substantial research on authoritative parenting and the importance of both developmentally appropriate demandingness and sufficient warmth and support (Bartholomeu, Montiel, Fiamenghi, & Machado, 2016;Baumrind, 1971;Baumrind, 1991;Gunnoe, Hetherington, & Reiss, 1999;Pinquart, 2016;Smetana, 2017;Steinberg, Lamborn, Darling, Mounts, & Dornbusch, 1994). Some prominent researchers have even gone so far as to say that there is enough evidence to support the use of authoritative parenting that research efforts should be directed to other areas (Steinberg, 2001).…”

“…There is a high degree of consensus among researchers about effective and ineffective approaches to parental discipline. Studies show that spanking, name-calling, offending, threatening, and other forms of harsh discipline are unconstructive, and tend to generate undesirable future behavior (Bartholomeu et al, 2016;Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, 2016;Gershoff, 2002;Gershoff et al, 2010;Kremer, Smith, & Lawrence, 2010;Locke & Prinz, 2002;McKee et al, 2007;Straus & Donnelly, 1993). Although physical punishment may enforce immediate compliance, in the long term it undermines children's trust in parents and their willingness to obey (Gershoff, 2002).…”

“…Parenting practicesdiscipline: Based on the literature review and field work of culturally prevalent disciplinary methods (Bartholomeu et al, 2016;Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, 2016;Gershoff et al, 2010;Paikoff et al, 1988;Rodrigues & Gomes, in press), participants were asked to state if their parents used the following discipline methods (0 = no, 1 = yes): verbal reprimand (call attention, lecture); harsh verbal reprimand (yell, offend, call names); media withdrawal (no computer, cell phone, TV, video games); social withdrawal (cannot leave the house or play with friends); physical punishment (hitting); or threatening comments. These items were based on the work of Brazilian psychologists (Martinez et al, 2007;Teixeira, Oliveira, & Wottrich, 2006).…”

Outdoor Education and Assertive Attitude

“…The effect of such a relationship with nature shifts to everyday life and makes a lasting diversion of a way of thinking. It has been reported that outdoor education can change the way of thinking and even good for maintaining health and focus on keeping cultural dynamics that support the appreciation of nature, diverse senses, and assertiveness (Bartholomeu, Montiel, Fiamenghi, & Machado, 2016).…”