Parental control in interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory: a study with a Spanish sample using Parents’ Version of Parental Acceptation-Rejection/Control Questionnaire

Abstract

Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection theory (IPARTheory) provides a good theoretical framework to explain the parenting dimensions that influence children’s social, cognitive and emotional adjustment. This theory develops one main dimension, warmth-rejection, where warmth would be one pole of the dimension and rejection the opposite one.  Besides, the theory has also defined behavioral control dimension with two poles: permissiveness-strictness. In the context of this theory, our study was conducted with a sample of Spanish parents to (a) examine whether parental perceived acceptance-rejection was related to parental behavioral control; (2) analyze how behavioral control dimension worked in acceptance-rejection theory; and (3) examine whether there were differences in the relations obtained between fathers and mothers. We have to conclude that control behavior correlates positively with warmth behaviors. Fathers’ and mothers’ correlations among these dimensions show that parents can develop certain control behaviors but that they are compatible with affection conducts.