Question

Describe how the book's authors view parents' roles in shaping temperament.

a) The book's authors emphasize that parents can influence a child's temperament through their responses to the child's behavior.
b) Parents are seen as important in modulating a child's emotional reactions and self-regulation.
c) The authors believe that parenting style can contribute to a child's overall disposition.
d) Parenting practices can either accentuate or mitigate a child's inborn temperament.

Answer 1

Parenting styles, such as those defined by Diana Baumrind, significantly affect a child's temperament and development. Parental responses to innate temperaments can shape key aspects of a child's personality, such as reactivity and self-regulation, with outcomes dependent on the style's warmth and responsiveness.

Step-by-step explanation:

The influence of parenting styles on children’s temperament is a complex interplay where both innate traits and parental behaviors can shape a child's development. Thomas and Chess's classification of temperaments as easy, difficult, or slow to warm up highlights the innate aspects of temperament, suggesting some attributes are present from birth. But parenting also plays a crucial role. Diana Baumrind's renowned research into parenting styles, such as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved, underscores how different approaches can impact a child's socioemotional growth.

Parental responsiveness to a child's temperament can further influence the development of key personality aspects like reactivity and self-regulation. Warm and responsive parenting is often associated with positive outcomes in children like high self-esteem and social skills, while more punitive or indifferent parenting can lead to negative outcomes such as anxiety, withdrawal, and low self-confidence.