PARENTING STYLES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANXIETY IN

CHILDREN

BY

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ALYSSA LUNGARINI

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A THESIS SUBMTTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
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FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER IN SCIENCE
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IN

DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCES

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

2015
 ProQuest Number: 1596435

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MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCES
OF
ALYSSA LUNGARINI

APPROVED:
Thesis Committee:
Major Professor Karen McCurdy
Hyunjin Kim
Helen Mederer

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Nasser H. Zawia
DEAN OF GRADUATE SCHOOL
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UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

2015
 Abstract

The current study aimed to determine the relationship between two

aspects of parenting styles, demandingness and responsiveness, and the

presence of anxiety in children. Additionally, this research aimed to identify

differences between mothers and fathers in regard to how these aspects of their

parenting styles affect child anxiety. Demandingness and responsiveness were

explored as independent variables in order to determine how they relate to child

anxiety, as well as how the relationships between the independent variables and

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anxiety differ by demographics including child gender, and parental age, race,

income, and educational level. Results indicate differences in child anxiety

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reported by fathers in regard to race and age. Specifically, being black and being

a younger father served as predictors for child anxiety. Additionally,

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responsiveness varied in fathers by education level. Lastly, fathers showed a

significant negative relationship between responsiveness and child anxiety

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indicating that more responsive fathers have children with lower anxiety.

Mothers did not show any significant relationships in regard to child anxiety.

However, results indicated a difference in responsiveness in regard to education

levels. Specifically, results showed that mothers who had received Some High

School Education or Less were less responsive. Analyses suggest the need for

future research regarding the gaps in literature pertaining to mothers and

parenting styles, as well as why demandingness and responsiveness

characteristics differ by demographics, specifically in a large minority sample.

 Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to my major professor, Karen

McCurdy, for her continuous support through my research experience. During

my time as a graduate student, she has served as a friend and mentor to me and I

greatly appreciate all of her help and guidance.

I would also like to thank my committee, as well as the Fragile Families

Longitudinal Study research team for allowing me to use their data set to

support my research.

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Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice

Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

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(NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers

R01HD36916, R01HD39135, and R01HD40421, as well as a consortium of

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private foundations. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and

does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of
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Health.

iii
 Table of Contents

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………….ii

Agknowledgments………………………………………………………………………...……………….iii

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………………...iv

List of Tables and Figures………………………………………………………………………………..v

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..................1

Significance…………………………………………………………………………………………………….2

Data and Sampling………………………………………………………………………………………….7

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Procedure……………………………………………………………………………………………7

Sample………………………………………………………………………………………………...9
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Measures…………………………………………………………………………………………..................12

Dependent variables…………………………………………………………………………..12
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Independent variables………………………………………………………………………..13

Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………..16
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Results - Preliminary……………………………………………………………………………………17

Results – Main Analyses………………………………………………………………………………..19

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………23

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………….23

Limitations………………………………………………………………………………………...25

Conclusion and Implications……………………………………………………………….26

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 List of Tables and Figures

Table 1. Demographics………………………………………………………………………………….11

Table 2. Descriptives of Scale Scores……………………………………………………………...15

Table 3. Multiple Linear Regression for Fathers…………………………………………..…21

Table 4. Multiple Linear Regression for Mothers……………………………………………22

Appendix A. Child Anxiety Measure………………………………………………………………28

Appendix B. Parenting Styles Demandingness Measure (Fathers)………………......29

Appendix C. Parenting Styles Demandingness Measure (Mothers)…………............31

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Appendix D. Parenting Styles Responsiveness Measure…………………………………32

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………….………33
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v
 1

Introduction

Thirty-two percent of children experience anxiety before adolescent

years and 9% experience anxiety as young as preschool (Carpenter, Puliafico,

Kurtz, Pincus, & Comer, 2014; Cooper-Vince, Chan, Pincus, & Comer, 2014;).

Additionally, studies show that anxiety in childhood usually leads to anxiety

during adulthood along with additional mood and externalizing disorders

(Carpenter et al., 2014). It is important to understand the presence of anxiety in

children, as avoiding anxiety in childhood may ultimately contribute to lack of

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anxiety in teenage years and young adulthood.

The majority of existing literature surrounding parenting and child

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anxiety focuses on populations that consist of upper or middle class, Caucasian,

married parents (Carpenter et al., 2014; Cooper-Vince et al., 2014; Francis,

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2014). Further, very few studies involve fathers, but rather focus primarily on

mothers in terms of parenting. The current study addressed gaps in literature

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pertaining to this topic, and explored the relationship between two aspects of

parenting styles and anxiety in children while considering understudied

populations. Specifically, it focused on a minority sample consisting of younger

than average parents from lower socioeconomic statuses, who also represent a

variety of ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, this research aimed to identify

differences between mothers and fathers in regard to how aspects of their

parenting styles affect child anxiety, and specifically shed light on fathers as

single parents.
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Significance

The present study used Baumrind’s parenting style theory as a

theoretical framework (1991). Baumrind explained three types of parenting

styles based on the constructs of demandingness and responsiveness (Soysa &

Weiss, 2014). Demandingness, as it pertains to this theory, is the level of control

that parents exert over their children. This control may be associated with

academics, athletics, or household and social activities. Responsiveness is the

warmth and positive affection parents show their children. Baumrind’s

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parenting styles are defined by either the presence or absence of these two

characteristics, but both constructs occur on a continuum with varying degrees

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of strength (Soysa & Weiss, 2014).

The first parenting style is authoritarian, and consists of high

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demandandingness in several developmental areas and low responsiveness.

Parents with this style set high expectations for their children and expect that
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they will be reached with little help or support. Authoritarian parents typically

display little warmth and affection toward their children and do not stray from

their rigid parenting techniques (Soysa & Weiss, 2014). Authoritative parents

represent the second style, and are high in demandingness, but also high in

responsiveness with their children. For example, these parents may set high

standards for their children, however they are willing to explain why, and

provide emotional support to help their children achieve goals. Additionally,

these parents are more likely to support their children in obtaining goals

through compromise, explanation, discussion, and appropriate levels of warmth