Kevin MacDonald, Ph.D.

CSULB, Department of Psychology

Psychology 361 -- Parenting

Paper by James Q. Wilson on Single Parenting, etc.

DIMENSIONS OF PARENTING:

HIGH

PERMISSIVE/INDULGENT AUTHORITATIVE

LOW HIGH

CONTROL/STANDARDS

NEGLECTFUL/INDIFFERENT AUTHORITARIAN

LOW

WARMTH (INTERNALIZED MOTIVATION)

CORRELATES OF PARENTING TYPES:

PARENTAL TYPE CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR
_____________________________________________________________________

AUTHORITATIVE PARENT CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR

FIRM ENFORCEMENT OF RULES ENERGETIC, FRIENDLY
CONFRONTS DISOBEDIENCE GOOD PEER RELATIONS
SHOWS PLEASURE AT CHILD'S ACCEPTS ADULT VALUES
CONSTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR ACHIEVEMENT-ORIENTED
CONSIDERS CHILD'S WISHES AND
OPINIONS
WARM, INVOLVED, RESPONSIVE
EXPECTS MATURE, AGE-
APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS

AUTHORITARIAN PARENT

RULES RIGIDLY ENFORCED FEARFUL, APPREHENSIVE
CONFRONTS DISOBEDIENCE SHY
SHOWS ANGER AND ALTERNATES BETWEEN
DISPLEASURE AGGRESSION
VIEWS CHILD AS EVIL AND WITHDRAWAL
HARSH, PUNITIVE DISCIPLINE PASSIVELY HOSTILE,
GUILEFUL
NO FAMILY ACTIVITIES DOES NOT ACCEPT
NO EDUCATIONAL DEMANDS PARENTAL VALUES

PERMISSIVE-INDULGENT PARENTS

RULES NOT ENFORCED NON-COMPLIANT WITH ADULTS
YIELDS TO CHILD COERCION, LOW IN SELF-RELIANCE
WHINING LOW IN ACHIEVEMENT
INCONSISTENT DISCIPLINE STRIVING
FEW DEMANDS FOR MATURE, LACK SELF-CONTROL
INDEPENDENT BEHAVIOR AGGRESSIVE, IMPULSIVE
MODERATE WARMTH
HIDES ANNOYANCE WITH DOMINEERING
CHILD'S BEHAVIOR DOES NOT ACCEPT PARENT
GLORIFIES FREE EXPRESSION VALUES

NEGLECTFUL/INDIFFERENT PARENT

MINIMIZE COSTS OF PARENTING REJECT ADULT VALUES
UNINVOLVED WITH CHILDREN PEER GROUP orientation
FOCUS ON OWN NEEDS
FAIL TO MONITOR CHILDREN'S DELINQUENCY
ACTIVITIES OR IMPULSIVITY
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AGGRESSION
PARENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY ALIENATED FROM FAMILY
(DEPRESSION, DRUG USE) POOR SCHOOL
ACHIEVEMENT
PARENT'S DISLIKE FRIENDS DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE
PRECOCIOUS SEXUALITY


"PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS TO TEACH CHILDREN THE RULES.
PART IS TO HELP THEM GAIN GRATIFICATION BY OBEYING THE RULES"

WARMTH AS A MOTIVATOR:
INTRINSIC VERSUS EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION IN PARENTING

HOW WARMTH MOTIVATES:
WARM PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AS MUTUALLY REWARDING
CHILD IN WARM PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP THEREFORE
VALUES RELATIONSHIP AND BEHAVES IN A MANNER WHICH PARENT
APPROVES;
CHILD THUS ACCEPTS ADULT VALUES, IS COMPLIANT,
CHILD VALUES PARENTAL APPROVAL;

AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING: PARENT HAS STANDARDS,
CHILD HAS INTERNAL MOTIVATION TO CONFORM TO THE STANDARDS

INDULGENT/PERMISSIVE PARENTS FAIL TO SET STANDARDS;
CHILDREN MORE DRAWN TO THE PEER WORLD

AUTHORITARIAN PARENTS HAVE STANDARDS, BUT MOTIVATION
IS EXTERNAL

NEGLECTFUL/INDIFFERENT PARENTS: NO STANDARDS, NO
MOTIVATION; STRONG PULL TO PEER WORLD
WARMTH AS A REWARD SYSTEM


WARMTH AS A PERSONALITY DIMENSION (SYSTEM): THE HUMAN
AFFECTIONAL SYSTEM

COLD OR HOSTILE PARENTS WARM PARENTS










WARM PARENTING RESULTS IN MAKING CHILD MORE
SENSITIVE TO REWARD VALUE OF POSITIVE SOCIAL
INTERACTION: SYSTEM-SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES

ANALOGY WITH EFFECTS OF EXPERIENCE ON NERVE CELLS:
STIMULATION RESULTS IN ELABORATION OF NEURAL NETWORKS
LACK OF STIMULATION RESULTS IN ATROPHY

DEVELOPMENT OF DIFFERENT REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES: JAY BELSKY

LOW INVESTMENT HIGH INVESTMENT

A. FAMILY CONTEXT
MARITAL DISCORD SPOUSAL HARMONY
SINGLE PARENTING PATERNAL COMMITMENT
NEGLECTFUL PARENTING
SIBLING REARING

B. CHILD REARING IN INFANCY/EARLY CHILDHOOD

HARSH, REJECTING, WARM, RESPONSIVE
INSENSITIVE STIMULATING
UNSTIMULATING
NO PARENT-CHILD PLAY PARENT-CHILD PLAY

C. PSYCHOLOGICAL/BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT

INSECURE ATTACHMENT SECURE ATTACHMENT
MISTRUSTFUL INTERNAL
WORKING MODEL RECIPROCALLY REWARDING
OPPORTUNISTIC INTERPERSONAL STYLE
INTERPERSONAL STYLE

D. SOMATIC DEVELOPMENT

EARLY LATER
MATURATION/PUBERTY MATURATION/PUBERTY

E. REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGY

EARLIER SEXUAL ACTIVITY LATER SEXUAL ACTIVITY
UNSTABLE PAIR BONDS STABLE PAIR BONDS
LOW INVESTMENT HIGH INVESTMENT
PARENTING PARENTING