Parenting Styles & Moral Development

Parenting style tends to be authoritative, authoritarian or permissive.

Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg established a six-stage theory of moral development in 1958 with children progressing from preconventional morality through conventional morality and finally to postconventional morality. Three distinct parenting styles have been well documented including authoritative, authoritarian and permissive, depending on how demanding and responsive parents act toward their children. Although both concepts have been well documented separately, there is a dearth of literature examining which parenting style is associated consistently with high moral development in children.

Authoritative Parenting

Authoritative parents demand compliance but also encourage independence. Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images

Practicing both high demandedness and responsiveness makes for authoritative parenting. Rules are strictly enforced but reasons for rules are clearly explained to children. This style of parenting has been demonstrated to influence children to be social, cooperative and independent.

Authoritarian Parenting

Authoritarian parents demand compliance but discourage independence. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

Being highly restrictive (demanding) but low in responsiveness, characterizes authoritarian parenting. Rules are strictly enforced, but reasons for the rules are not openly discussed. Conformity is encouraged, with little attention toward independent thought or action. This style of parenting is correlated with children who are high academic achievers with low incidence of acting out. Social skills and independence may be lacking, however.

Permissive Parenting

Permissive parents do not demand compliance or give children attention. Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

Maintaining a style of low demandedness and low responsiveness is known as permissive parenting. Children raised in these environments tend to do more poorly than children raised in authoritative or authoritarian styles in terms of independence, self-esteem, academic achievement and social skills.

Parenting and Morality

Examining the relationship between parenting style and subsequent moral development has not yielded consistent results. Some studies reported authoritative parenting to be associated with high moral development, at least two found permissive parenting to be associated and one study found no relationship. There is no strong evidence that authoritarian parenting style leads to high moral development. The inconsistency of findings may indicate most parents develop a hybrid parenting style.

References

• Liberty University: Parenting Styles and the Development of Moral Judgment; Scott M Hawkins; 2005
• "Theories of Development"; W.C. Crain; 1995
• "Developmental Psychology Monographs"; Current Patterns of Parental Authority; D. Baumrind; April, 1974