ch 14: social influences

what is family?

• physical maintenance and care of family members

• addition of new member

• guiding and behaviour

• producing, consuming, distributing goods and services

• love and emotion nurturance

what are some evolutions in canadian families?

• couples less likely to get married

• new structures of family

• fertility is dropping

• solo-parenting

• multigenerational households

explain the dimension of parenting styles

what is authoritative parenting?

• reciprocal

• responsive

• high in bidirectional communication

what is authoritarian parenting?

• controlling

• power-assertive

• high in undirectional communication

what is uninvolved parenting?

• rejecting

• neglecting

• uninvolved

what is permissive parenting?

• indulgent

• low in control attempts

what are typical authoritative parent characteristics?

• set clear standards and limits

• allow considerable autonomy within limits

• attentive and responsive to concerns and needs

what are typical authoritative child characteristics?

• competent & self-assured

• able to control own behaviour

• low → antisocial behaviours

• in adolescence: high → social and academic competence

what are typical authoritarian parent characteristics?

• nonresponsive to needs

• enforce demands through threats and punishment

• expect child to comply

what are typical authoritarian child characteristics?

• low → social and academic competence

• unhappy and unfriendly

• not effective at coping with stressors

what are typical permissive parent characteristics?

• responsive to needs

• do not require child regulation

what are typical permissive child characteristics?

• impulsive

• low in school achievement

• adolescents: engage in school misconduct and drugs 

what are typical uninvolved parent characteristics?

• do not set limits for behaviour

• unsupportive

what are typical uninvolved child characteristics?

• infants and toddlers: attachment problems

• poor peer relationships

• adolescents: numerous academic, social and emotional problems

what are the ratios of parenting styles?

• authoritative: most common

  • mothers > fathers

• authoritarian: fathers > mothers

• 16 possible family parenting styles

how does infant attractiveness affect parenting style?

• more attractive → mother more affectionate

• mothers less attractive infants:

  • attend to wrong person

  • “routine caregiving“

  • negative attitudes

how does child temperament and behaviours affect parenting style?

• bidirectionality of parent-child interactions

how does socioeconomic status affect parenting style?

• low SES = authoritarian

• high SES = accepting and democratic, communicate more

• why?

  • diff in parental beliefs

  • education

  • environment

  • economic stress → quality of parenting, family interaction, children’s adjustment

how does culture affect parenting style?

warmth and contol are universal BUT

• european canadian and indigenous: high warmth, moderate control (→ authoritative style)

• chinese parents: low warmth, high control (→ authoritarian style)

• latino families: very high on warmth and control (→ authoritative) 

what is parental behaviours?

• direct instruction

• observing

• feedback

punishment needs to be…

• promptly and consistently

• explanation and future suggestions

• given from person of warm affectionate relationship

punishment has serious disadvantages including…

• behaviours stopped temporarily

• too angry or upset to learn alternative behaviour

• may imitate aggressive beheviours of parent → behaviours problems

explain time out vs time in

time out:

• unacceptable behaviour, acceptable

• need dont matter

• i will love you IF you are behvaing a certain way

time in:

• being together

• parents in charge of calm

• can distract for a bit

• being words to child’s feelings

• stay with child until regulated

• help take responsibility (NO BLAME)

• talk about avoiding these problems later

what is the impact of divorce on children?

the majority will not experience long-term negative effects