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Bidirectional Relations between Temperament and Parenting Styles in Chinese Children
Erica H Lee1, Qing Zhou, Nancy Eisenberg
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley.
International Journal of Behavioral Development
|March 14, 2013
Summary
Child temperament, specifically effortful control and anger/frustration, bidirectionally relates to authoritarian parenting in Chinese elementary students. Higher effortful control and lower anger/frustration were linked to more authoritarian parenting over time.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Child Development
Background:
- Parenting styles and child temperament are key factors in child development.
- Bidirectional influences between parents and children are well-documented.
- Cultural contexts shape parenting and child-rearing values.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the bidirectional associations between child temperament and parenting styles.
- To investigate if child temperament predicts parenting styles and vice versa.
- To explore these relations within a Chinese cultural context.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with two waves of data (3.8 years apart).
- Sample of 425 Chinese children (ages 6-9 at Wave 1).
- Assessed child temperament (effortful control, anger/frustration) and parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian).
Main Results:
- Bidirectional relations were found between temperament and authoritarian parenting.
- Higher effortful control and lower anger/frustration predicted higher authoritarian parenting.
- No significant cross-time associations were observed between temperament and authoritative parenting.
Conclusions:
- Findings support transactional relations between temperament and authoritarian parenting in Chinese children.
- Results align with Chinese cultural values emphasizing effortful control and anger management.
- The study highlights cultural specificity in parent-child dynamics.
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