Which parenting style might best be described as low warmth and high control?
The styles are based on a combination of two dimensions: how responsive (or warm) parents are and how demanding and controlling (or strict) they are [8]. Show
Authoritarian ParentingAuthoritarian parents are high on control and demandingness; but low on responsiveness and warmth. They have high expectations of their children, and provide ordered, well-structured and closely monitored environments with clearly stated rules [2-4]. Their demands on their children, however, are not balanced by their responsiveness to the needs and wants of their children. Their children are expected to do as they are told and not to question the authority of the parent because authority is based on age not merit [10]. Authoritarian parents operate from a position of power-over rather than a position of power-with. Although children benefit from rules and boundaries, authoritarian parenting is frequently “too punitive and lacks the warmth, unconditional love and nurturing that children need” (About Education). Authoritarian parents expect to be obeyed, rules are not discussed in advance and there is little negotiation between parents and children. As Maccoby and Martin [3] suggest, authoritative parents “attach strong value to the maintenance of their authority, and suppress any efforts their children make to challenge it” (pp. 39-40). Disobedience is likely to lead to punishment. Permissive ParentingPermissive parents are high on responsiveness and warmth; but low on control and demandingness. They generally avoid confrontation, asserting their authority or imposing limitations on their children, and allow their children to regulate their own behaviour [2-4]. Children can make many decisions for themselves and there are few rules. Permissive parents try to be accepting and affirmative, and are tolerant of their children’s impulses, desires and actions [1] and value self-expression rather than conforming to societal expectations. Permissive parents try to be loving and nurturing, have fairly low expectations in terms of maturity and self-control, and see themselves more as a friends than a parent (About Education). Uninvolved ParentingUninvolved parents are low on control and demandingness, and also low on responsiveness and warmth. Although, in extreme cases, uninvolved parents are neglectful or reject their children [4], more commonly they provide for the basic needs of their children but their main focus is on other aspects of their lives (e.g., work or substance use) and so have little time or energy for their children [3]. They place few expectations on their children, are unlikely to be involved in their children’s lives (e.g., attending school events) and offer little or no supervision (About Education). They may be focused on their career or earning an income, not recognise that they are uninvolved with their children, be unable to provide emotional support or simply find it easier to take a hands-off approach to raising their children. Authoritative ParentingAuthoritative parents are high on control and demandingness, and also high on responsiveness and warmth. They set clear standards for their children but accept “a reciprocal responsibility to be as responsive as possible to their children’s reasonable demands and points of views” [3, p. 46]. The authoritative style of parenting can be described as democratic with parents being willing to discuss options and to negotiate rules and expectations. When children fail to meet these expectations, the parents respond in a nurturing and forgiving way rather than simply imposing punishment (About Education). Baumrind[2] suggests that authoritative parent
According to About Education authoritative parents:
The authoritative parenting style is often associated with positive outcomes for children such as social competence, psychological flexibility and success at school [2, 7, 11-13]. Maccoby [14] suggests that the positive outcomes associated with authoritative parenting is related to parents focusing on the best interests of the child (even if it means setting aside some of their own interests) while also insisting the child takes responsibility (increasing as they grow) for responding to the needs of other family members. (In the next post I will discuss some of the criticisms of these parenting styles and the importance of recognising other influences on outcomes for children.) A short quizThere is a short online quiz (provided by Active Parenting Publishers) parents can do that gives them an indication of their dominant parenting style. (It doesn’t include the uninvolved parenting, but if you are doing the quiz I think we can safely assume you aren’t an uninvolved parent!) Need for flexibilityWhile these typologies do have their uses, we also have to remember that they are a static, simple representation of a complex issue. How we parent needs to be child-centred – it needs to suit the child. We need to be able to adapt to the child and the situation. Hopefully parents are responsive to things like their children’s personality and age, the context and the seriousness of the situation. Parents also need to be able to adapt to the changing developmental needs of their children [7]. It is important to remember that parents are more than their parenting style and we need to be careful about using their representations as labels, particularly if they lead to us being judgemental of others. Do you find these parenting styles a useful way of thinking about parenting? Do they fit in with your experience of parenting, being parented or seeing how others parent? If you liked this post you might want to follow my blog (top right-hand corner of the blog), and you might like to look at:
If you find any problems with the blog, (e.g., broken links or typos) I’d love to hear about them. You can either add a comment below or contact me via the Contact page. Which parenting style might best be described as law warmth and high control?Authoritative as a parenting style involves parents scoring high in warmth and control. They are firm but flexible. Set clear expectations and monitor their children's behavior. The discipline when rules are broken are supportive and thoughtful instead of punitive.
Which parenting style is high in both warmth and control?The authoritative parenting style is an approach to child-rearing that combines warmth, sensitivity, and the setting of limits. Parents use positive reinforcement and reasoning to guide children. They avoid resorting to threats or punishments.
Which parenting style describes the parents who are low on warmth and high on control and often cold but demanding?The authoritarian parenting style is characterized by high control and low warmth. This parent is the disciplinarian, demanding control and respect and emphasizing obedience. Authoritarian parents are strict and insist that their children follow directions.
Which of the four parenting styles is high in warmth and high in control?Combining two levels (high and low) of these two dimensions yielded four kinds of parents: Authoritative: High Control and High Warmth. Authoritarian: High Control and Low Warmth. Permissive: Low Control and High Warmth.
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