Project Title
How Parenting Disciplinary Strategies Relate to Social Competence in Young Children
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Tsu-Ming Chiang
Abstract
The development of a child’s social and emotional competence is heavily influenced by the parenting style of their parent(s) and/or caregiver(s). A socially competent child is capable of understanding and expressing feelings, adapting to the circumstances of social interactions, and acquiring knowledge from prior interactions (Creavey, Gatzke-Kopp, Fosco, 2017). Furthermore, a child who is classified as emotionally competent can recognize and control the expression of their emotions. (Gross, 2007). High levels of harsh discipline ultimately undermine a child's ability to develop social competence and engage with peers pro-socially (Scaramella and Leve, 2004). Recent empirical studies have also found a link between authoritative parenting styles and low levels of social skills (Salavera, Usán, Quilez-Robres, 2022). Furthermore, high levels of responsiveness have been found to encourage socially competent behaviors among children (Barnett et al., 2012; Bigner & Gerhardt, 2019; Jeon & Neppl, 2019; Spruijt et al., 2019). The purpose of the current study examines the association between parenting disciplinary strategies and the socioemotional competence of children aged 3-5. The data is being collected at a local early learning center. Over 38 parents completed a parental survey regarding disciplinary strategies at home. Teachers rated children’s social behaviors at school using the Social Competence Behavior Evaluation (SCBE). Researchers conduct observations in the classroom using a behavior observation form to assess the socioemotional competence of children. The researchers expect parents who utilize reasoning and calm explanations will positively correlate with social competence, and anger and physical punishment styles will negatively associate with emotional competence. Implications of the current study can aid future research in pinpointing direct aspects of each parenting style to locate critical factors in social and emotional development. Future directions of subsequent studies will be discussed at the conference.
How Parenting Disciplinary Strategies Relate to Social Competence in Young Children
The development of a child’s social and emotional competence is heavily influenced by the parenting style of their parent(s) and/or caregiver(s). A socially competent child is capable of understanding and expressing feelings, adapting to the circumstances of social interactions, and acquiring knowledge from prior interactions (Creavey, Gatzke-Kopp, Fosco, 2017). Furthermore, a child who is classified as emotionally competent can recognize and control the expression of their emotions. (Gross, 2007). High levels of harsh discipline ultimately undermine a child's ability to develop social competence and engage with peers pro-socially (Scaramella and Leve, 2004). Recent empirical studies have also found a link between authoritative parenting styles and low levels of social skills (Salavera, Usán, Quilez-Robres, 2022). Furthermore, high levels of responsiveness have been found to encourage socially competent behaviors among children (Barnett et al., 2012; Bigner & Gerhardt, 2019; Jeon & Neppl, 2019; Spruijt et al., 2019). The purpose of the current study examines the association between parenting disciplinary strategies and the socioemotional competence of children aged 3-5. The data is being collected at a local early learning center. Over 38 parents completed a parental survey regarding disciplinary strategies at home. Teachers rated children’s social behaviors at school using the Social Competence Behavior Evaluation (SCBE). Researchers conduct observations in the classroom using a behavior observation form to assess the socioemotional competence of children. The researchers expect parents who utilize reasoning and calm explanations will positively correlate with social competence, and anger and physical punishment styles will negatively associate with emotional competence. Implications of the current study can aid future research in pinpointing direct aspects of each parenting style to locate critical factors in social and emotional development. Future directions of subsequent studies will be discussed at the conference.