more stable factors Flashcards
child temperament
Biologically rooted behavioural style
* How parents relate to child’s temperament
is key
* “good” / “rude” / “thoughtful and perceptive” /
“prefers to listen” / “courageous”
*Parent perception influences parenting
(Putman et al., 2002)
sex of child
But, some parental behaviour does appear
to be influenced by sex of child (Leaper, 2002):
* Boys encouraged to play and explore; girls
encouraged to help mothers
* Parenting differences in affectionate behaviour
and household chores
review- Morawska 2022- A variety of gender-differentiated parenting behaviours and child outcomes were examined. The review found evidence that parents do respond differently to their children. Parents vocalised differently, used different socialising strategies, played differently and provided different toys to their sons and daughters. This differential parenting was associated with some differences in child development across child gender, including differences in child vocalisation, displays of affect, pain responses, compliance, toy play and aggression. However, the overall quality of the evidence, the lack of longitudinal studies and the heterogeneous nature of the outcomes examined suggest the need for a systematic approach to examining the nature and effects of differential parenting on children’s development.
vyas et al., 2016- The results indicated that there was significant difference in father’s parenting style between
sons and daughters. It was also found that there was significant difference in mother’s
authoritative parenting style between sons and daughters. But no significant difference
was seen in mother’s authoritarian parenting style between sons and daughters. Conclusion:
There is a shift in parenting style of fathers towards their children. Daughters experienced
more positive parenting from both the parents as compared to sons
another review on gender
Raley et al., 2006-
However, fathers’ investments appear to be somewhat higher in families with sons. Fathers spend more time with sons than with daughters. Fathers more often marry and stay married and mothers report more marital happiness in families with sons—although associations are weakening and differentials are not large. Divorced fathers more often have custody of sons than of daughters. Daughters do more housework than sons, mirroring the gendered division of labor in adulthood. Parental support of educational activities varies, with some parental behaviors greater for sons but others higher for daughters. Whether parents encourage gender differences or whether children’s gender-differentiated behaviors elicit differential parental treatment cannot be easily determined with studies to date, most of which are cross-sectional or limited in other ways that hamper conclusions about causal mechanisms.
social media
savak et al., 2019-
found in a Russian sample, mothers and fathers post more about their sons on social media than daughters- and these posts get respectably more likes! Underscores potential favouritsm
however another study highlights how sex doesnt matter- Gray 2007- Survey data show that more than 60 per cent of Australian couples yet to have a first child say that the child’s sex does not matter. Of the minority who do express a preference most would prefer a son, though men more so than women. Where couples have one child and want another, most still say that the sex of the next child does not matter, though parents who already have a daughter are more likely to want a son than are those who already have a son to want a daughter. Where couples have two children and want a third, parents who have two children of the same sex are more likely to want a child of the opposite sex than are those who already have one son and one daughter.
Nasser et al., 2013- This study examines how parental favoritism and disfavoritism influence depression and aggression in Saudi Arabian adolescents, considering the gender of both the parent and the child. Key findings include:
Disfavoritism and Mental Health: Adolescents who perceived themselves as being singled out for negative treatment showed higher levels of depression (r = .39, p < .001) and aggression (r = .32, p < .001).
Gender-Specific Favoritism:
Sons were more likely to feel negatively treated by their fathers.
Daughters were more likely to feel negatively treated by their mothers.
gender not affecitng parenting
Endendijik 2016- Research indicates that the gender of parents may not significantly influence parenting behaviors or children’s outcomes. A meta-analysis titled “Gender-Differentiated Parenting Revisited: Meta-Analysis Reveals Very Few Differences in Parental Control of Boys and Girls” examined parental control behaviors towards sons and daughters. The findings revealed minimal differences, suggesting that parents do not substantially alter their control strategies based on the child’s gende
Cultural and Societal Norms: Cultural expectations can shape parenting behaviors, making it challenging to isolate the effects of gender from societal influences. For example, son preference in China, this is culturally rooted, but greatly affects the way girls and boys are parented, for example boys get better educational treatment from their parents in China!- wang et al., 2005
Evolving Family Structures: With increasing diversity in family configurations, such as single-parent households and same-sex couples, traditional notions of gender roles in parenting are continually changing, adding complexity to research in this area.
child temperament
Research indicates that child temperament can significantly influence parenting styles, leading parents to adjust their approaches based on their child’s behavioral characteristics. A longitudinal study by Zhou et al. (2013) examined bidirectional relationships between child temperament and parenting styles in a sample of Chinese children aged 6 to 9 years. The study found that children exhibiting low effortful control or high anger/frustration levels were more likely to elicit authoritarian parenting behaviors over time. Conversely, parents who employed authoritarian parenting methods tended to have children who developed lower self-regulation and higher anger/frustration. This suggests a cyclical pattern where challenging child temperaments and authoritarian parenting reinforce each other
