THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTING STYLES, PARENTAL READING INVOLVEMENT, CHILD BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES, CHILD CLASSROOM COMPETENCE, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY By KRISTAL LEA SOMMER Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Science Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 2007 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE July, 2010 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTING STYLES, PARENTAL READING INVOLVEMENT, CHILD BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES, CHILD CLASSROOM COMPETENCE, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY Thesis Approved: Dr. Laura Hubbs-Tait Thesis Adviser Dr. Carolyn Henry Dr. Michael Criss Dr. Mark E. Payton Dean of the Graduate College ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS At this time, I would like to thank my thesis committee, Dr. Laura Hubbs-Tait, Dr. Carolyn Henry, and Dr. Michael Criss for all of their support and insight during the process of writing my thesis. Dr. Hubbs-Tait’s continual encouragement and understanding nature that she provides to all students was evident when I spent numerous hours with her during the past few months. Without her guidance and generous amount of time she has committed to helping me, I could have not successfully completed my thesis. Dr. Henry and Dr. Criss have also provided a vast amount of knowledge and insight relating to my thesis topic and statistical analyses. The input from Dr. Henry and Dr. Criss is greatly appreciated and has improved the quality of my thesis. Their flexibility during this process has been outstanding and for this I am incredibly thankful. My family and friends have been my continual support system the past two years while I have been working on my Master’s degree. Without their kind, inspiring words and their generous gifts of love and support, my motivation and drive to complete my thesis would have been greatly diminished. Specifically, I would like to thank my parents for their unending belief in my ability to succeed in the endeavors I have undertaken throughout my life. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE....................................................................................4 Conceptual Definitions ............................................................................................4 Theoretical Perspectives ..........................................................................................9 Parenting Styles and Child Classroom Competence/Literacy ...............................11 Parenting Styles and Child Externalizing Behaviors .............................................19 Moderators May Explain Different Findings of Parenting Styles and Child Outcomes..............................................................25 Conclusions, Research Goals, and Hypotheses .....................................................28 Hypotheses .......................................................................................................29 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................31 Sample....................................................................................................................31 Procedures ..............................................................................................................31 Measures ................................................................................................................32 Parent Reports ..................................................................................................32 Researcher Reports ..........................................................................................34 Teacher Reports ...............................................................................................35 Analysis Overview .................................................................................................36 Objectives, Analyses, and Hypotheses ............................................................36 iv Chapter Page IV. RESULTS ..............................................................................................................40 Overview ................................................................................................................40 Objective 1 .............................................................................................................40 Objective 2 .............................................................................................................41 Objective 3 .............................................................................................................42 Objective 4 .............................................................................................................44 V. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................46 Hypothesis 1...........................................................................................................46 Hypothesis 2...........................................................................................................48 Hypothesis 3...........................................................................................................49 Hypothesis 4...........................................................................................................51 Limitations, Strengths, and Future Directions .......................................................52 Implications for Theory .........................................................................................53 Implications for families in Head Start: Program and Policy ................................54 Final Conclusions...................................................................................................55 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................56 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................68 Appendix A: HPQ and PBQ-HS ............................................................................69 Appendix B: The Preschool Behaviour Questionnaire ..........................................73 Appendix C: Teacher Ratings of Children’s Behavior in Child Care ...................75 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.................................................................................................................................77 2.................................................................................................................................80 3.................................................................................................................................82 4.................................................................................................................................83 5.................................................................................................................................84 6.................................................................................................................................85 7.................................................................................................................................86 8.................................................................................................................................87 9.................................................................................................................................88 10...............................................................................................................................89 11...............................................................................................................................90 12...............................................................................................................................91 13...............................................................................................................................92 14...............................................................................................................................93 15...............................................................................................................................94 16...............................................................................................................................95 17...............................................................................................................................96 18...............................................................................................................................97 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.................................................................................................................................98 2.................................................................................................................................99 3...............................................................................................................................100 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Decades of research have suggested that parenting behaviors and practices associated with parenting styles are related to child outcomes of classroom competence and externalizing behavior problems (Baumrind, 1968; Bretherton, 1985; Camp,