A Meta-Analysis of Parenting Styles on Children’s Self-Regulation Skills

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Introduction: Child self-regulation skills have important developmental implications for a variety of short-term and long-term outcomes including health, social relationships, school readiness, and overall quality of life (Baker et al., 2019; Moffitt et al., 2011; Moffitt et al., 2013). Parenting practices are instrumental in shaping child self-regulation skills, among other executive function skills (Davis et al., 2017; Fay-Stammbach et al., 2014; Morawska et al., 2019). However, the underlying mechanisms through which parenting behaviors contribute to these skills have demonstrated inconsistencies in patterns of causation, as well as conflicting outcomes, across populations differing in ethnicity or socioeconomic status (Baker & Brooks-Gunn, 2020; Mortensen & Barnett, 2018; Pungello et al., 2009). Prior experimental studies and meta-analyses have primarily focused on the relationship between harsh or warm parenting practices, or directly contrasted positive and negative parenting practices (Karreman et al., 2006; Li et al., 2019; Valcan et al., 2018). Further, limited prior literature has utilized multiple reporters or multimethod measurement approaches (Bailey et al., 2012; Sheshko et al., 2020). However, given the variations in associations observed across different populations we aim to specifically evaluate different dimensions of parenting styles in regard to how behaviors promote, suppress, or passively contribute to child independence and development of self-regulation skills. To address this research gap, we utilize a meta-analytic approach to investigate whether different types of parenting engagement (i.e., supportive, suppressive, or passive) predict children’s self-regulation abilities. Further, we compare the magnitude of these predictive relationships with various measurement strategies and reporter roles.

Methods: An exhaustive search for both published and unpublished works was completed through database queries, followed by review of references from initial results and searches for associated results through ResearchGate. The following keywords were used to search MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ProQuest Theses and Dissertations, Conference Proceedings Citation Index–Social Sciences & Humanities, and SocINDEX with Full Text databases: [parent* OR patern* OR matern* OR father OR mother] AND [behavior OR quality OR discipline OR communication OR interaction OR sensitivity] AND [self-control OR self-regulation OR emotion-regulation OR inhibit* OR impuls* OR adapt*] AND [child* OR youth OR adolescent]. Studies were screened for the following inclusion criteria: child or adolescent sample, reported measure of child self-regulation, reported measure of parenting behavior(s), and necessary statistics for effect size calculation. If statistics required for effect size calculations were not reported, study authors were contacted for this information. Two research team members subsequently coded studies for parenting style dimensions, context of self-regulation measurement, and self-regulation measure reporter(s). After inter-and intra-rater reliability were confirmed ( > 0.9), effect size calculations were completed.

Preliminary Results: Initial effect size comparisons indicate that all three parenting style dimensions significantly predict children’s self-regulation abilities in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, however the magnitude of these effects is greatest for supportive parenting behaviors and weakest for passive behaviors. Further, the magnitude of these detected effects is greater for observed compared to reported measures of self-regulation. A stronger magnitude of effect is also yielded when self-regulation is reported by parents compared to teacher or self-report.

Authors

• Jessica Elaine Blume, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author

• Gabriella M Garcia, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ann M Mastergeorge, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author