Correlates of parenting style: findings from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS)

Summary

This study explored a longitudinal data-base that assessed a set of psychological and socio-demographic factors associated with parenting styles in a sample of 1,053 parents (55% mothers) with a mean age of 41.2 years (SD = 6.7) who had children aged 10 years. We were interested in the correlates of three distinct parenting styles: Authoritative, Authoritarian, and Permissive Parenting (criterion variables), along with the various predictor variables: gender, age, the Big-Five personality factors, cognitive ability, self-efficacy, mental health problems, educational qualifications and occupational levels. Regression analyses revealed that traits Agreeableness and Openness, self-efficacy, and gender (being mothers) were significant (p < .01 to p < .001) and positive, independent predictors of Authoritative Parenting, accounting for 17% of the variance. Trait Agreeableness, age (negatively), and mental health problems (positively) were significant (p < .05 to p < .001) and independent predictors of Authoritarian Parenting, accounting for 13% of the variance. Trait Conscientiousness, occupational levels, and gender (being mothers) were significant (p < .05) and negative independent predictors of Permissive Parenting, accounting for 10% of the variance. Implications are discussed as well as limitations of the study.