The impact of children’s socioemotional development on parenting styles: the moderating effect of social withdrawal

Abstract

This study focused on associations between children’s socioemotional development (prosocial behaviour, internalizing and externalizing problems) and parenting styles (affection, behavioural control, and psychological control), and the moderating role of children’s social withdrawal (as a temperamental characteristic) in these associations. Children’s socioemotional development (n = 314) were rated by teachers at three-time points (grades 1–3). Parents completed questionnaires measuring their parenting styles at the same three-time points. The level of social withdrawal was obtained at the end of kindergarten from teachers’ reports. Panel analysis showed that prosocial behaviour was associated with a higher level of affection, while externalizing problems were associated with a higher level of behavioural control. Among children with a high level of social withdrawal, prosocial behaviour predicted high maternal psychological control, while internalizing problems predicted high paternal psychological control. However, among children with a low level of social withdrawal, socioemotional development had no impact on parenting styles.