Estilos parentales y su contribución al ajuste personal y social de los hijos

Introduction and objectives

This study analyzes the relationship between parental styles (indulgent, authoritative, authoritarian, and neglectful) with the short- and long-term pattern of personal and social adjustment in children, teenagers and adults.

Material and methods

The sample consisted of 2,119 Spanish children (59.2% female), 623 adolescents (12-18 years), 591 young adults (19-35 years), 509 middle-aged adults (36-59 years) and 396 older adults (60 years or more). Families were classified into one of four parental typologies (indulgent, authoritative, authoritarian and neglectful) based on their scores in the two main dimensions (acceptance/implication and severity/imposition). Children's personal and social adjustment was measured with family self-concept, self-esteem, aggressiveness, sexist prejudice, and internalization of social values of universalism.

Results

The results showed a common short- and long-term pattern between parental styles and personal and social adjustment. The indulgent style was associated with equal or even better scores on personal and social adjustment than the authoritative style, while the lower scores corresponded to the authoritarian and neglectful parental styles.

Conclusions

The findings are discussed considering the relevance of the cultural context in which parental socialization occurs.