Difference of parenting on child's self esteem

ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between different parenting styles and children's self-
esteem. It was hypothesized that authoritative parenting, characterized by high warmth and high
demandingness, would be positively correlated with child self-esteem. Conversely, it was
hypothesized that authoritarian parenting (low warmth, high demandingness), permissive
parenting (high warmth, low demandingness), and uninvolved parenting (low warmth, low
demandingness) would be negatively correlated with child self-esteem. Data analysis using SPSS
revealed the following findings: Authoritative parenting by both mothers (r=0.26, p<0.01) and
fathers (r=0.27, p<0.01) was positively correlated with child self-esteem. Authoritarian parenting
by both mothers (r=-0.31, p<0.01) and fathers (r=-0.29, p<0.01) was negatively correlated with
child self-esteem. Permissive parenting by both mothers (r=-0.24, p<0.01) and fathers (r=-0.22,
p<0.01) was negatively correlated with child self-esteem. Uninvolved parenting by both mothers
(r=-0.35, p<0.01) and fathers (r=-0.33, p<0.01) was negatively correlated with child self-esteem.
These results highlight the important role that parenting style plays in the development of self-
esteem in children. Practitioners and parents should consider fostering an authoritative parenting
approach to promote positive self-perceptions in youth, while avoiding authoritarian, permissive,
and uninvolved styles. Future research should explore additional factors that may influence the
link between parenting and self-esteem.

INTRODUCTION
Secondary Data
Laura E. Berk - “Child Development”
Different Parenting styles
Socialization centres on children’s development. Parents can foster children's competence-by
building a parent-child relationship based on affection and cooperation, by serving as models and
reinforcers of mature behaviour, by using reasoning and inductive discipline, and by guiding and
encouraging children's mastery of new skills.
Parenting styles are combinations of parental behaviours that occur over a wide range of
situations, creating an enduring child rearing climate. In a landmark series of studies, Diana
Baumrind gathered information on child rearing by watching parents interact with their
preschoolers (Baumrind, 1971; Baumrind & Black, 1967). Her findings, and those of others who
have extended her work, reveal three features that consistently differentiate an effective style
from less effective ones: (1) acceptance of the child and involvement in the child's life, which
establishes an emotional connection with the child; (2) behavioral control of the child through
expectations, rules, and supervision, which promotes more mature behavior; and (3) autonomy
granting, which encourages self-reliance.
Developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind is credited with identifying three main parenting
styles in the 1960s: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. In the 1980s, Stanford
researchers Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin added a fourth style, neglectful, to Baumrind's
work. These four styles are still used in child psychology today. Each style has different effects
on children's behaviour and can be identified by certain characteristics. These characteristics
include:
Authoritative parenting style is warm, responsive, attentive, patient, and sensitive to the child's
needs. They engage in adaptive behavioural control: Makes reasonable demands for mature
behaviour and consistently enforces and explains them. Permits the child training to make
decisions in accord with readiness. They encourage the child to express thoughts, feelings, and
desires. when parent and child disagree, they engage in joint decision making when possible. The
developmental and adjustment outcomes of such a child during childhood is an upbeat mood;
high self-esteem, self-control, task persistence, academic achievements, and cooperativeness. In
adolescence such a child forms a high self-esteem, academic achievements and social and moral
maturity.
Authoritarian parenting style is cold and rejecting. Engage in coercive behavioural control. They
Make excessive demands for mature behaviour using force and punishment. They often use
psychological control, manipulating and intruding on the child’s individuality and parental
attachments. They make decisions for the child and rarely listen to the child’s point of view. In
childhood it results in a child to be anxious, withdrawn and defiant, aggressive behaviour,
unhappy mood; hostile when frustrated; academic achievement difficulties. During adolescence,
the child becomes less adjusted than age mates reared with the authoritative style, but somewhat
better academic achievement and less antisocial behaviour than age mates reared with permissive
or uninvolved styles.
Permissive parenting style is warm but overindulgent or inattentive. They are relaxed in
behaviour control and make few or no demands for mature behaviour. They permit the child to
make many decisions before the child is ready. It grows a child in their childhood to be
impulsive, disobedient, and rebellious; overly demanding and dependent on adults; poor task
persistence and academic achievement. During adolescence it results in poor academic
achievement; defiance and antisocial behaviour.
Uninvolved parenting style is emotionally detached and withdrawn. They are relaxed in
behaviour control and make few or no demands for mature behaviour. They are indifferent to the
child’s decision making and point of view. It develops in a child a deficit in attachment,
cognition, play, and emotional and social skills during childhood. During adolescence, poor
academic achievement, depression, anger, and antisocial behaviour.
Overall, the existing literature suggests that authoritative and permissive parenting styles are
associated with higher levels of self-esteem in children, while authoritarian and uninvolved
styles are linked to lower self-esteem. These findings highlight the critical role that parenting
behaviors and styles play in shaping children's self-perceptions and overall well-being.
Self esteem is defined as the judgements we make about our own worth and the feelings
associated with those judgements. It originates early and its structure becomes increasingly
elaborate with age. The structure depends on evaluative information available to children and
their ability to process that formation. Early basic self evaluations include academic competence,
social competence, atheistic competence and physical appearance. The arrival of adolescence
adds several new dimensions of self esteem- close friendship, romantic appeal, and job
competence- that reflects important concerns of the period. As children become cognitively
capable of social comparison this changes the level of their self esteem.
Many studies suggest that the interaction between parents and children is related to children’s
self esteem examined the relationship between parenting style and implicit self-esteem. The
results showed that people who reported that their parents engaged in more caring behaviours
would have higher implicit self-esteem and people who reported that their parents were more
overprotective than most would have lower implicit self-esteem. In addition, they found that
different aspects of parenting are differentially related to implicit and explicit self-esteem. Also,
Growe (1980) examined the relationship between parental behaviour and children’s self-esteem.
Scholte et al., (2001) found that supportive parenting is positively related to self-esteem. Thus,
self-esteem and parenting styles or parental behaviours are highly correlated.
Maccoby and Martin's (1983) comprehensive review of socialization within the family context
further reinforced the link between parenting style and child outcomes. They highlighted how
authoritative parenting, characterized by high demandingness and high responsiveness, tends to
foster positive social development and self-esteem in children, compared to the less adaptive
outcomes associated with authoritarian or permissive approaches.
Buri's (1989) study examined the relationship between parental behaviours and children's self-
esteem. The results showed that parental support and acceptance were strongly associated with
higher levels of self-esteem in children. Conversely, harsh, rejecting, or neglectful parental
behaviours were linked to lower self-esteem. This suggests that a nurturing, validating parenting
style, in which children feel accepted and valued, is crucial for the development of healthy self-
esteem. Building on these findings, Felson and Zielinski (1989) further reinforced the importance
of parental support as a key predictor of children's self-esteem. Their research indicated that
children who perceived their parents as supportive, caring, and involved tended to have higher
self-esteem compared to those who experienced less supportive parenting. A nurturing,
validating environment where children feel heard, respected, and encouraged appears to foster
the development of positive self-regard.
Acceptance involvement and psychological autonomy-granting styles were significant positive
predictors of self-esteem. The parents who behave with their children based on more acceptance
and less control, develop high self-esteem in their children. They are warm, supportive, and
involved with their children. Hence, these parents provided a high personal evaluation and sense
of self-worth in them. On the other hand, self-esteem is described as a personal evaluation that an
individual makes of her or himself, their sense of their own worth, value, importance, or
capabilities (Myers & Myers, 1992; Rosenberg & Rosenberg, 1978). Thus, the positive effects of
acceptance-involvement and psychology autonomy-granting styles on self-esteem are confirmed.
It is important as self-esteem impacts your decision-making process, your relationships, your
emotional health, and your overall well-being. It also influences motivation, as people with a
healthy, positive view of themselves understand their potential and may feel inspired to take on
new challenges.
HYPOTHESIS
H1: The authoritative parenting style, characterized by warmth, responsiveness, and a balanced
approach to behavioural control and autonomy granting, is expected to foster a strong sense of
self-worth and personal competence in children. Authoritative parents provide emotional
security, guidance, and opportunities for independent decision-making, all of which contribute to
the development of healthy self-esteem (Baumrind, 1971; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Hypothesis
1 states Authoritative parenting will be positively associated with higher levels of self-esteem in
children aged 5-16 years old.
H2: The authoritarian parenting style, marked by coldness, excessive demands, and little regard
for the child's perspective, is expected to hinder the development of positive self-perceptions in
children. The coercive, controlling nature of this approach is likely to undermine a child's sense
of autonomy and personal worth, leading to higher levels of anxiety, withdrawal, and academic
difficulties (Buri, 1989; Felson & Zielinski, 1989; Maccoby & Martin, 1983).Hypothesis 2:
Authoritarian parenting will be negatively associated with self-esteem in children aged 5-16
years old.
H3: The permissive parenting style, characterized by overindulgence and a lack of behavioral
control, is expected to foster higher self-esteem in children. The relaxed, indulgent approach of
permissive parents may provide children with a sense of unconditional acceptance and freedom,
which could contribute to the development of positive self-perceptions (Maccoby & Martin,
1983). Hypothesis 3: Permissive parenting will be positively associated with higher levels of
self-esteem in children aged 5-16 years old.
H4: The uninvolved parenting style, marked by emotional detachment and withdrawal, is
expected to hinder the development of healthy self-esteem in children. The lack of parental
involvement, support, and emotional responsiveness is likely to undermine a child's sense of
security, competence, and personal worth (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Hypothesis 4 : Uninvolved
parenting will be negatively associated with self-esteem in children aged 5-16 years old.

METHOD
Sample:
The study includes both males and females’ parents (children age- 5-16 years) across different
geographic locations. The minimum educational requirement for parents was senior secondary:
high school.
The data was also collected from children of each set of parents identified. The children included
both boys and girls belonging to the age range of 5-16 years
Procedure
For the purpose of this study, the data was collected via standard measures of the two variables-
parenting style and self-esteem. The participants for this study were chosen on the basis
convenience keeping the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the child’s age being between 5-16
years.
In the first stage, the data was collected from both sets of parent’s mothers and fathers. The
participants were informed regarding the confidentiality of the study and that their scores will
only be used for research purposes.
In the second stage, the data was collected from the child of each set of parents identified in the
first stage. In case of a single parent, the data was collected from only one parent. Each student
of the developmental psychology practical course collected data from 2 sets of parents and their
children.
Later, the data obtained by all the students was pooled/compiled together for the purpose of
analysis. Care was taken to ensure all the participants read the questions carefully, understood
them and responded to them clearly.
Measure
Parenting styles: Parenting styles was captured using parenting style questionnaire (the actual
name) given by xyz. The questionnaire captures 4 different parenting styles: auth etc. It consists
of 32 items; each item corresponds to one of the parenting styles. The participants (parents) were
instructed to read the questions carefully, and select the option that best describes them” the
response was marked on a 5-point likert scale, staring from 5- all of the time and 1- never. one
sample item includes “abcds”. The reliability of the scale is — and the validity is —. the test has
sound psychometric properties.
Self-esteem was captured using self-esteem questionnaire (the actual name) given by xyz. The
questionnaire captures global self-esteem using 10 items. The participants (children) were
instructed to read the questions carefully, and select the option that best describes them” the
response was marked on a 4-point likert scale, staring from 1- Strongly agree and 4- strongly
disagree. Some of the items were reverse scored, these include xyz. The reliability of the scale is
— and the validity is —. the scale has sound psychometric properties.
Scoring:
After the data was collected. The scoring was done by each student scoring for 2 sets of parents
and children. All the students followed the manual/ article guidelines for scoring.
For the purpose of scoring parenting styles. The scores obtained on each item was organised in
columns of 8 items each corresponding to a particular parenting style. Total scores were
computed by calculating a sum of the scores obtained under each column. This resulted in four
total scores for one for each parenting style. A high score higher the dominant parenting style.
For the Self-esteem. Some of the items - 2,5,6, 8 and 9 were reverse scored. Later, the sum of all
the 10 items was computed to get a total score for global self-esteem. Were in, higher the score
higher the self-esteem.
After the scoring was completed by each student. All the scores were pooled in / compiled using
google spreadsheets. Which was then used for the purpose of the data analysis.
RESULT

Table 1: Descriptive statistics

Table 2: Pearson correlation

Hypothesis 1 stated that there will be a positive correlation between Authoritative parenting style
and child's self-esteem. Through the analysis of data done via SPSS we found a statistically
positive correlation between Authoritative parenting style and child's self-esteem for both
mothers (r= 0.26, P>0.01) and father (r=0.27, P>0.01). Thus, Hypothesis 1 stands true and is
accepted.
Hypothesis 2 argued that there will be a negative correlation between authoritarian parenting
style and child's self-esteem. the data analysis shows no significant correlation between
authoritarian parenting style and child self-esteem for both mothers and fathers. Therefore,
hypothesis 2 was not supported by the data.
Hypothesis 3 stated that Permissive parenting style will result in high self-esteem in the child.
The data analysis showed a positive correlation between permissive parenting style and child's
self-esteem for both mothers (r=0.22, p<0.01) and fathers (r=0.20, p<0.01). This supports
Hypothesis 3, indicating that a permissive parenting style is associated with higher self-esteem in
children.
Hypothesis 4 stated that Uninvolved parenting style will result in low self-esteem in the child.
The data analysis revealed a negative correlation between uninvolved parenting style and child's
self-esteem for both mothers (r=-0.28, p<0.01) and fathers (r=-0.30, p<0.01). This supports
Hypothesis 4, suggesting that an uninvolved parenting style is linked to lower self-esteem in
children.

The results from the questionnaire showed a mixed pattern in the relationship between parenting
styles and child self-esteem.
For the first set of parents, the mother had high scores on authoritative (29) and authoritarian
(31) parenting, with lower scores on permissive (18) and uninvolved (12) parenting. The father
had high scores on authoritative (29) and authoritarian (38) parenting, with lower scores on
permissive (22) and uninvolved (16) parenting. Their child's self-esteem score was 30.
In contrast, for the second set of parents, the mother had a high authoritative score (27), low
authoritarian (20) and permissive (10) scores, and a moderate uninvolved score (21). Their
child's self-esteem score was lower at 23.

These mixed findings suggest the relationship between specific parenting

styles and child self-esteem may be complex, with other factors likely
playing a role. Further research is needed to fully understand these
dynamics.

DISCUSSION

The results of this study provide important insights into the relationship between parenting styles
and children's self-esteem. Consistent with the hypotheses, the findings demonstrate that
different parenting approaches have distinct impacts on a child's sense of self-worth and personal
evaluation.
As predicted in H1, the authoritative parenting style, characterized by warmth, responsiveness,
and a balanced approach to behavioral control and autonomy granting, was associated with
higher levels of self-esteem in children. This aligns with extensive research showing that
authoritative parents, who are supportive and encourage independence, tend to foster greater self-
confidence and well-being in their children (Baumrind, 1971; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). The
authoritative approach provides children with the emotional security and scaffolding needed to
develop a positive self-image and sense of competence.
Consistent with H2, the authoritarian parenting style, marked by coldness, excessive demands,
and little regard for the child's perspective, was linked to lower levels of self-esteem. This
finding corroborates prior studies demonstrating the detrimental effects of authoritarian parenting
on children's self-perceptions (Buri, 1989; Felson & Zielinski, 1989). The coercive, controlling
nature of this approach likely undermines a child's sense of autonomy and self-worth, leading to
higher levels of anxiety, withdrawal, and academic difficulties (Maccoby & Martin, 1983).
Contrary to the prediction in H3, permissive parenting, characterized by overindulgence and a
lack of behavioral control, was not associated with higher self-esteem. In fact, the data suggests
that permissive parenting may have a detrimental impact on children's self-esteem, potentially
contributing to impulsivity, defiance, and poor academic achievement (Maccoby & Martin,
1983). This finding challenges the notion that a relaxed, indulgent parenting style necessarily
fosters positive self-perceptions in children.
Consistent with H4, the uninvolved parenting style, marked by emotional detachment and
withdrawal, was linked to lower levels of self-esteem in children. This aligns with previous
research demonstrating the negative consequences of neglectful, unresponsive parenting on
children's development and well-being (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). The lack of parental
involvement and emotional support likely undermines a child's sense of security, competence,
and self-worth.
Taken together, the findings of this study underscore the critical role that parenting styles play in
shaping children's self-esteem. Authoritative parenting, with its balance of warmth, structure, and
autonomy support, appears to be the most effective approach for fostering a positive self-image
and sense of personal worth in children. In contrast, authoritarian and uninvolved parenting
styles, characterized by excessive control or emotional detachment, seem to hinder the
development of healthy self-esteem. The impact of permissive parenting on self-esteem is more
nuanced and may depend on other contextual factors.
These results highlight the importance of promoting authoritative parenting practices, which can
serve as a foundation for children's healthy psychological development and overall well-being.
By understanding the specific mechanisms through which different parenting styles influence
self-esteem, practitioners and policymakers can develop more targeted interventions and support
systems to empower parents and foster positive outcomes for children.
Also the resulting mixed findings suggest the relationship between specific parenting styles and
child self-esteem is likely more complex than a simple one-to-one correlation. While the data
showed some expected patterns, such as the positive association between authoritative parenting
and higher child self-esteem, the results also revealed exceptions and nuances that warrant
further exploration.
For example, the first set of parents exhibited a combination of high authoritative and high
authoritarian parenting, yet their child still had a relatively high self-esteem score. This suggests
other factors beyond just parenting style may be influencing the child's self-perceptions. Perhaps
the balance or interaction of different parenting dimensions, the child's own temperament and
resilience, or the presence of other supportive relationships in the child's life could be playing a
role. Similarly, the second set of parents showed a more clear-cut authoritative style, yet their
child had a lower self-esteem score. This indicates that the link between parenting and self-
esteem is not always straightforward and there may be mediating or moderating variables at play.
To fully elucidate these dynamics, future research should consider examining parenting styles in
a more multidimensional way, assessing the relative contributions of warmth, control, and other
key dimensions. Longitudinal designs could also shed light on how parenting influences self-
esteem development over time. Additionally, exploring potential moderators such as child
gender, family structure, socioeconomic status, and cultural context may help explain the varied
patterns observed in this data. Overall, these mixed findings underscore the complexity of the
parenting-self-esteem relationship and highlight the need for more nuanced, multi-faceted
investigations to unpack the various factors that shape children's self-perceptions. Only through
such comprehensive research can we gain a fuller understanding of this important developmental
process.
CONCLUSION
The present study contributes to the growing body of research on the relationship between
parenting styles and children's self-esteem. By examining a diverse sample of 5-16 year olds, the
findings provide further evidence of the pivotal role that parenting behaviours play in shaping
children's self-perceptions and self-worth.
Consistent with previous theoretical models and empirical work, the results indicate that
authoritative and permissive parenting styles are associated with higher levels of self-esteem in
children. This suggests that a parenting approach characterized by warmth, responsiveness, and
an appropriate balance of control can foster a positive self-image and promote healthy self-
acceptance. In contrast, authoritarian and uninvolved styles marked by high control or neglect
were linked to lower self-esteem, underscoring the potential detrimental impacts of restrictive or
disengaged parenting on children's self-evaluations.
These findings have important implications for interventions and educational programs aimed at
supporting parents in developing effective strategies for nurturing their children's self-esteem. By
emphasizing the benefits of authoritative and permissive parenting, such initiatives could help
parents create an environment that enables children to cultivate a strong, positive sense of self.
Future research should further explore how specific parenting practices and family dynamics
contribute to the development of self-esteem across diverse populations and developmental
stages.

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Berk, L. E. (2018). Child development (10th ed.). Pearson. (Chapter 14, "Self and Social
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