Parenting Goals and Parenting Styles among Taiwanese Parents: The Moderating Role of Child Temperament

Christine Meng

Christine Meng University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the moderating role of child temperament in the relationship between parenting goals and parenting styles. To achieve that goal, this study tested the interaction between child temperament (emotionality, activity, sociability, and shyness) and parenting goals (parent-centered goals and child-centered goals) that predicted authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. One hundred forty-eight Taiwanese parents with kindergarten children were recruited to complete self-report questionnaires. Results showed main effects of parenting goals and child temperament. Child-centered goals positively predicted authoritative parenting styles, but child emotionality negatively predicted authoritative parenting styles. Parent-centered goals positively predicted authoritarian parenting styles, but child emotionality positively predicted authoritarian parenting styles. Additionally, the results showed significant interaction effect between child-centered parenting goals and child activity in predicting parental warmth. That is, parents with child-centered goals were more likely to be warm when their children had higher levels of activity. The results showed that child temperament played a moderating role in parenting styles and parenting goals. Given that child-centered parenting goals interact with child activity, future research should further examine the bidirectional relationship between child-centered parenting goals and child activity.

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