The Big Answer

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The study contrasts the relationship of various coping dispositions to various parenting methods. It concludes, extending and confirming the work of other investigators, that authoritative parenting techniques give the most optimal outcomes in offspring, and in this study kids getting authoritative parenting had the best coping skills. Authoritative parenting has been shown to promote high self-esteem, secure and successful identity development, and overall competence in kids. Such kids are more at cause, less at effect. They can cope well by working on the problem rather than obsessing or crying or despairing over it, and are willing to seek social supports to empower this. This lessens their tendency to use repression, drugs, tobacco, or alcohol to help them cope by turning problems against themselves. It also increases the chances for the development of autonomy because of helping the offspring develop self-control and control over his environment. The findings are discussed in the context of parental rearing styles indirectly influencing coping dispositions through their impact on feelings of competence and personal control.

For other study results involving the comparison of authoritative parenting and other types of parenting styles, see these authors on our website: Gauvain, Baumrind, Maccoby, Lewis, Aunola, Brassington, Hill, Larzelere, Shucksmith, Chao, Ramsey, Strage, Peterson, Fletcher, Gray, Steinberg, Lamborn, Society for the Advancement of Education, Johnson Publishing Company Inc., Berg, Snowden, McIntyre, and Slicker. Then see these books: (and the references in the back) Gordon’s Discipline That Works and Alvy’s Parent Training Today. Then see our comments on books and/or articles by these authors: Lakoff, Gould, Pugh, Critzer, Popkin, Dinkmeyer, Gordon, Faber, Dreikurs, Solter, Prinz, Kvols, and Nelsen, keeping in mind that this is just the first author listed—many works have more authors and these are listed as well in each of our references. Finally, check out the real courses (begin with Internet searches) that teach various forms of authoritative and democratic parenting, like P.E.T., STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting, Winning Family Lifeskills, Positive Discipline, Redirecting Children’s Behavior, and Positive Parenting, the Ginott method (see our comments on the Faber and Mazlish book Liberated Parents Liberated Children), Dreikur’s democratic parenting (see our comments on his Happy Children book), and Active Parenting.