Parenting styles and adjustment in gifted children
The present study examines the psychosocial development of gifted children. Although much evidence exists that gifted children experience problems of adjustment, such as social isolation, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, few studies have investigated the family environment of gifted children and its possible links to child psychosocial adjustment. The goal of this study, therefore, was to address these questions by examining the parenting styles, as defined by Baumrind, of parents of gifted children and their potential associations with the adjustment levels of their children. Parenting styles were measured using a self-report questionnaire. The level of adjustment for gifted children, aged 7 to 11 years old, was measured using behavioural and self-concept measures. Giftedness was determined using a standardized intelligence test. Forty-eight gifted children and 52 nongifted children participated in the study. Parents of gifted children reported using a predominantly authoritative parenting style. Mothers, however, reported significantly higher authoritative scores than fathers. Parents reported several gifted children to experience problems with peers, but their teachers did not report this nor did the children themselves. No associations were found between a particular parenting style and the reported presence of peer social problems in gifted children. Mothers’ authoritarian parenting style was significantly associated with lower conduct problem levels, and higher intellectual self-concept levels in gifted children. As for mothers’ authoritative parenting style, a significant relationship was found with higher conduct problem levels in gifted children. Mothers’ permissive parenting style was found to be associated with lower self-concept levels in gifted children. As for the fathers, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were found to be linked to lower adjustment and self-concept levels in gifted children. Adjustment levels and parenting styles were also compared between gifted and nongifted children. For both groups of children, adjustment levels were in the normal range and the parents reported similar use of the three parenting styles. As for the relationships between parenting styles and adjustment in nongifted children, fathers’ authoritative parenting style was found to be associated with higher child adjustment levels. Mothers’ authoritarian and fathers’ permissive parenting styles were found to be associated with lower self-concept levels in nongifted children. The conclusions of this thesis permit a better understanding of the complexity of the links between parenting styles and the psychosocial adjustment of gifted children.
Child adjustment Child outcomes Self-concept Giftedness Parenting style Parenting Gifted children