The relationship between children' s self-control and parenting style

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of parenting styles on the children's self-control, and distinguish the influence between father and mother. Methods The present study selected 1 531 children (766 girls ) between 3-10 years old. Data on parenting style were collected by parenting style questionnaire, while data on children's self-control were measured by dual-system of self-control scale. Principal component analysis was conducted to examine common method bias. Results (1) No common method bias was found in this study. (2) Boys scored (31.66±5.95) on control system lower than girls (32.91±5.49), t=4.071, P<0.01, but they had higher scores (43.19±8.32) on impulsive system than girls (41.96±8.32), t=2.226, P=0.027. (3)The associations of children's self-control scores with parents' spoiling, neglectful, authoritarian, inconsistent style were significant (r=-0.054~-0.174, P<0.05), while it correlated positively with parents' democratic style (r=0.231, r=0.243, P<0.05). The correlation between children's impulsive system scores and parents' spoiling, neglectful, authoritarian, inconsistent style were significantly positive (r=0.116-0.195, P<0.05), while its associations with parents' democratic style were significant (r=-0.107, r=-0.108, P<0.05). (4) As controlling children's age and sex, father democracy (β=0.120), inconsistency (β=-0.159), and mother democracy (β=0.188) were significantly correlated with children's self-control (Radj2=0.107, P<0.05). Father despotism (β=0.070), inconsistency (β=0.136), mother's democracy (β=-0.063), despotism (β=0.099) and inconsistency (β=0.061) significantly predicted children's impulsive system (Radj2=0.082, P<0.05). Conclusion Each dimension of self-control and parenting style is high correlation.Father and mother's different rearing traits and the combination of different rearing traits contributed variously to children's self-control system. Key words: Dual systems of self-control; Impulsive system; Self-control system; Parenting style