Parental Influence: Potential long-term effects of strict parenting

Abstract

Although parental involvement in childhood can increase a child's academic success (Landers, Friedrick, Jawad & Miller, 2016), an authoritarian parenting style — characterized by strict enforcement of rules, a high degree of control, and an emphasis on obedience — can reduce a child's motivation and cause poor acceptance of responsibilities. The question remains, however, as to whether these effects persist into adulthood. A correlational design was used to determine whether the self-perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of adults who report being raised by strict parents are different from those of adults who say they were raised by permissive parents. Results showed that participants with strict parents were less likely than participants with permissive parents to describe themselves as "street-smart," but described themselves as being more responsible. They also were more likely to feel ready to move out and to say they would not be strict as parents. However, they also were more likely to say they would use a strict punishment if their child smoked marijuana, drank underage, or did not pursue an advanced degree. Although this is a correlational study and therefore does not permit cause-and-effect conclusions, these findings suggest that parents should be educated about the potential long-term effects of the parenting style they adopt on the well-being of their children in adulthood.