A Comparative Analysis of Emotional Health Among First-grade Children Raised with Different Parenting Styles

Abstract

Introduction. Parenting styles have a considerable impact on the emotional health of children. This study aims to identify the characteristics of emotional health among first-grade children raised with different parenting styles. Methods. The study used the following psychological assessment tools: (a) the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, 16PF, developed by R. Cattell (junior version); (b) the test for Diagnostics of the Level of Empathic Abilities by V. V. Boyko; (c) the School Anxiety Scale, SAS, developed B. Phillips; (d) Buss–Durkee Hostility Inventory; and (e) the Emotional Faces test developed by N. Ya. Semago. To assess parenting styles, we used the Parental Attitude Research Instrument, PARI (E. S. Schaefer, R. K. Bell) and the Analysis of Family Relationships questionnaire, AFR (E. G. Eidemiller, V. V. Yustitskis). A total of 283 children aged 7–8 years from the schools of Arkhangelsk city (123 girls and 160 boys) participated in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, maximum likelihood factor analysis with varimax normalized rotation, and parametric ANOVA. Results and Discussion. Emotional awareness, aggression, anxiety, and empathy were the most significant characteristics of emotional health for all the first-grade students. Indulgent hyperprotaction was associated with a high level of school anxiety; disturbance in family role attitudes correlated with difficulties in the ability to recognize and understand emotions; attachment trauma was associated with a high level of aggression and a low level of empathy. Therefore, unfavorable parenting styles may cause emotional health disorders in children and lead to an increase in the levels of anxiety and aggression, difficulties in recognizing and understanding emotions, and a low level of empathy. Negative parenting styles are a predictor of emotional health disorders in children, which requires timely prevention.

Keywords

• emotional health
• anxiety
• aggression
• empathy
• emotional awareness
• parenting styles
• hyperprotection
• risk groups
• first-grade children