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Restrictive and supportive parenting: Effects on children’s school affect and emotional responses

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Abstract

In this project upper primary school students were surveyed about their general liking for school, and reasons for going to school. Their parents were asked to respond on a questionnaire indicating their restrictiveness and also support for their child’s autonomy. Data were collected from 92 middle SES two-parent families and analysed using SmartPLS path modelling. It was found that children of mothers high on autonomy support enjoyed school more, and endorsed cognitive learning reasons for attending. Restrictive parenting (in either mothers or fathers) did not relate significantly to school affect, but was associated with elevated levels of negative emotional symptoms, notably loneliness and unhappiness.

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  1. University of South Australia, Australia

    Karen D. Annear & Gregory C. R. Yates

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  1. Karen D. Annear
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  2. Gregory C. R. Yates
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Annear, K.D., Yates, G.C.R. Restrictive and supportive parenting: Effects on children’s school affect and emotional responses. Aust. Educ. Res. 37, 63–82 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216914

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