tutorial questions Flashcards
how did Baumrind’s work change psychology of parenitng at the time?
There are numerous ways that Baumrind’s research had an impact, including:
It focused in on one key dimension of parenting behaviour; namely, control.
It moved from a linear (high or low) to a qualitative conceptualisation of control,
including three different manifestations of parenting control (authoritarian,
authoritative and permissive).
It favoured a “configurational approach” (p.490) to defining parenting style,
whereby multiple factors or beliefs interact to influence styles and behaviours.
This underpinned the notion of parenting styles as Baumrind found that parents
differed in the way they used authority/control and that they also differed on other
dimensions, such as their use of maturity demands, communication, or nurturing.
It also proposed that children contribute to their own development via their
influence on their parents. Baumrind tried to distinguish parent behaviours from
child behaviours, allowing her to define parenting style as a characteristic of the
parent, rather than of the parent-child relationship.
It proposed the socialisation process to be dynamic, with parents’ style of
parenting influencing how open their children were to parents’ socialisation
attempts
summarise the history of parenting research (5 marks)
Early Theories (1900s-1950s) – Early parenting research was influenced by psychoanalytic theories (Freud) and behaviorism (Watson, Skinner), emphasizing the role of early experiences and reinforcement in child development.
Attachment Theory (1950s-1970s) – Bowlby and Ainsworth introduced attachment theory, highlighting the importance of secure parent-child bonds for emotional and social development.
Parenting Styles (1960s-1980s) – Diana Baumrind developed a typology of parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive), later expanded by Maccoby & Martin.
Contextual Influences (1980s-2000s) – Research expanded to consider social, cultural, and economic factors, with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory emphasizing the wider environment’s role in parenting.
Modern Approaches (2000s-Present) – Contemporary research examines neuroscience, genetics, and cultural diversity in parenting, alongside factors like digital parenting and the impact of mental health and socioeconomic status on parenting outcomes.
