Modern Psychological Studies Volume 5 Number 1 Article 5 1997 The relationship between parenting style and chilren's anger, aggressive behavior, and perception of intention Patricia Bardina Pomona College Michelle Wilson Pomona College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Bardina, Patricia and Wilson, Michelle (1997) "The relationship between parenting style and chilren's anger, aggressive behavior, and perception of intention," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 5 : No. 1 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol5/iss1/5 This articles is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals, Magazines, and Newsletters at UTC Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Modern Psychological Studies by an authorized editor of UTC Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Relationship Between Parenting Style and Children's Anger, Aggressive Behavior, and Perception of Intention Patricia Bardina and Michelle Wierson Pomona College This study examined the relationship between parenting style and preschoolers' perceptions of intention, their anger, and their aggressive behavior. Each child was told eight variations of the same story and then was asked to rate the characters' intentions and anger. The parents were given the Modified PARI (Emmerich, 1969) and the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) to measure parenting style and the child's aggressive behavior. A regression analysis resulted in a significant Beta score of .41 (p<. 02) between hostility- rejection parenting style and the child's perception of intention. Previous research shows a relationship between perception of intention and anger or aggressive behavior (Rotenberg, 1985; Fine, 1980); thus, the results of this study suggest that perception of intention could serve as a mediator between hostile parenting and anger or aggressive behavior. As a possible precursor to juvenile delinquency one's experience of emotions. Because boys with or other behavioral disorders, anger can have a long- high behavior problems scores are more likely than term effect on a child's life (Dodge, Price, others to attribute hostile intent to a peer, they may Bahorowski, & Newman, 1990). Attributional also experience more anger (Dodge, Price, theory views cognitions as altering experience and Bachorowski, & Newman, 1990). Furthermore, suggests that people who perceive causes of anger as reactive-aggressive groups display biases and controllable, internal, and stable display increased deficits in their interpretations of benign intentions anger, with controllability having the greatest and tend to retaliate aggressively (Dodge & Coie, influence (Weiner, Graham, & Chandler, 1982; 1987). Therefore, subjects who attribute a negative Graham, Doubleday, & Guarino, 1984). Because the situation to hostile intentions or controllable causes perception of intention affects anger, understanding demonstrate higher levels of anger and aggressive the sources of this perception could prevent behavior. aggressive behavior. A possible factor in the Different parenting styles also affect reactions of perception of intention may be parenting style, as it anger in children (Metcalf & Gaier, 1987; Peery, also relates to anger (Jensen & Borges, 1986; Jensen, & Adams, 1985). Prodding and pressuring Ballard & Cummings, 1988). Consequently, this by parents can lead to anger, resentment, and study investigates the relationship between parenting rebellion in children (Metcalf & Gaier, 1987). These styles, perception of intention, and anger in results suggest that an authoritarian parenting style, preschoolers. characterized by strict disciplining, could promote The attributions children form regarding the anger via its pressure on children. Peery, Jensen, and causes of negative situations may determine their Adams (1985) further show that rejected and reactions to those situations. Olthof, Ferguson, and isolated children most often are parented by mothers Luiten (1989) show that anger positively correlates with attitudes of a patriarchal family structure (with with attributions of intentionality and of negative fathers as the dominant family members), low self- motives. Similarly, Weiner, Graham, and Chandler confidence, low preference for young children, (1982) find that uncontrollable causes of negative infrequent praise, no reward for independence, and situations provoke pity but that controllable (or low disciplining. These children also have fathers intentional) and internal causes lead to anger and with definite expectations for child behavior, guilt. They conclude that attributions may determine infrequent threats, and negative reactions to MODERN PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES SPRING 1997 19 Perception of Intention intrusion. Parenting characterized by rejection additionally aid in the understanding of anger therefore may be related to the social rejection of expression development. children. This rejection, in turn, might increase In order to reduce anger or aggressive behavior, children's anger. Other studies show that children's it is necessary to understand the relationship exposure to anger also can increase their aggressive between parenting and children's perceptions of behavior (Cummings, 1987; Cummings, Zahn- intention. Studies show that causal attributions affect Waxier, & Radke-Yarrow, 1984). This exposure the emotion produced by an event. For example, often comes from the parents (Fine, 1980; hostile intentions and controlled causes increase Rosenberg, 1987). Thus, just as children's reactions of anger in young children (Dodge et al., perceptions of intention are associated with anger, so 1990; Weiner, Graham, & Chandler, 1982; Covell are parenting styles that consist of anger and of & Abramovitch, 1987; Olthof, Ferguson, & Luiten, rejection. 1989; Dodge & Coie, 1987). An understanding of As both perceptions of intention and parenting the causes of these perceptions may aid in the styles affect children's anger, it is possible that development of an intervention to alter such parenting styles influence perceptions of intention. perceptions and thereby prevent aggressive This theory is supported by Moran and O'Brien behavior. Because specific forms of parenting also (1984), who demonstrate a correlation between increase anger (Peery, Jensen, & Adams, 1985; maternal democratic control and children's intention- Jensen & Borges, 1986; Fine, 1980; Rosenberg, based judgments. This finding implies that 1987), it is possible that parenting styles influence democratic parenting may prevent attributional children's perceptions of intention. If such a biases in children that could lead to increased relationship is found, the alteration of authoritarian aggression. However, it does not directly examine parenting style may serve to prevent aggressive anger or aggressive behavior. behavior. The studies already mentioned explain the Research observing older children involves peer relationship between children's perceptions of influence as an important factor that could influence negative situations and anger as well as between other factors such as parenting style. Therefore, parenting styles and children's anger. Although they when examining the effects of parenting styles, clarify the important reactions children have to studies should focus on those children whose numerous experiences, they fail to examine the influence by peers is less dominant than their relationship between parenting styles and children's influence by parents (e.g preschool children). perceptions of these experiences: in particular, their However, only one of the studies examining perceptions of intention. It is possible this children's attributions or parenting styles focuses on relationship demonstrates that perception of preschool children (Peery, Jensen, & Adams, 1985). intention is a mediating variable between parenting This study does not investigate children's style and children's anger or aggressive behavior. perceptions of intention. Children's perceptions also Furthermore, most existing studies tend to observe may change with age, and intervention with older children and/or children with learning aggressive behavior requires an understanding of disabilities, thereby ignoring those children younger such cognitions. In order to prevent aggressive than school age. As a result of this gap, little is behavior, peer influence may also generally be more known about perception of intention with regard to difficult to modify than parental influence. In this young children. Perhaps this is due, in part, to the sense. early intervention with younger children when fact that scales that measure anger and children's parental influence remains dominant seems practical perceptions are created for older children and may as a preventive measure. This action requires further not suit younger children. These scales often studies that examine preschool children in order to necessitate the capability of children to read and understand their perceptions and the effects that write (Dodge, Price, Bachorowski, & Newman, different parenting styles have on these perceptions. 1990; Rotenberg, 1985). The development of In an effort to better understand the possible procedures better suited to measure preschoolers interventions of aggressive behavior, this study will permit further and more accurate studies on examines an area neglected by previous research. It their perceptions. Studying younger ages will considers the relationship