Conceptualising the Relationship between Maternal Parenting Style and Adolescent Self-Esteem: A Pragmatic Approach

This study investigated the relationship between adolescent self-esteem and maternal parenting style, using the four-style typology identified by Maccoby and Martin (1983). Additionally, the researchers considered whether it was more pragmatic to conceptualise parenting style as two separate co-occurring dimensions of parenting: responsiveness and demandingness. Male and female adolescents (N = 140, mean age 14.73 years, 64% female) completed questionnaires measuring perceived maternal responsiveness and demandingness, and self-esteem. Consistent with previous research, differences were found between the four parenting styles for adolescent self-esteem. However, maternal responsiveness was demonstrated to be the only significant predictor of adolescent self-esteem (p < .001). The researchers concluded that considering responsiveness and demandingness as separate dimensions, rather than combining them to form discrete categories, provided a more accurate and practical conceptualisation of the relationship between maternal parenting style and adolescent self-esteem.