Development of adolescents’ positive self-attitude: the influence of parenting style

Introduction. The authors explore the problem of developing adolescents’ positive self-attitude. The purpose of the research is to identify the influence of parenting style on the development of adolescents’ positive self-attitude. Materials and Methods. The research was based on the modern foreign approach to the study of self-esteem, considering this phenomenon as a construct which is an affective component of self-awareness (H.W Marsh, R.J. Shavelson, J.J. Hubner, and G.C. Stanton) In the course of empirical research, the following psychodiagnostic methods were used: R. Panteleeva’s method of self-attitude research; J. Rotter’s “Locus of Control” technique; D. A. Leontiev’s test of life meaningful orientations; A. Ya. Vargi and V. V. Stolin’s test of parental relations. The study involved 96 high school students from Emelyanovsk secondary school of Krasnoyarsk Territory. The study consisted of 3 stages: in the first stage, the authors investigated the general level of independence, self-attitude, and self-confidence of adolescents. The second stage revealed the degree of adolescents’ life meaningfulness. The final stage revealed the influence of parental style on self-attitude in adolescence. Results. It is revealed that a high level of parental control is significantly associated with such factors as “internal conflict” and “autosympathy”; externality; and low meaning of life orientation. The high level of parenting control determines the processes of internal maladjustment, the acute experience of the age crisis, dissatisfaction with oneself, the absence of faith in the possibility of self-change; and low assessment of their own innerworld, etc. The results of the study showed that authoritarian parenting style limits adolescents’ independence without substantiating demands, involves strict control, severe prohibitions and reprimands, and leads to the external control mechanism based on feelings of guilt or fear of punishment. This model of parenting is considered as negative, as it hinders the processes of separation and emancipation, and leads to difficulties in socialization, adaptation and developing a holistic personality. Conclusions. The conclusion is made about the need for developing an integrated methodological support to improve parents’ psychological and educational competence in relation to their children’s education and developing their positive self-attitude.