Internalization of Values and Self-Esteem among Brazilian Teenagers from Authoritative, Indulgent, Authoritarian, and Neglectful Homes

• Published in: Adolescence Vol. 43; no. 169; pp. 13 - 29
• Main Authors: Martinez, Isabel, Garcia, Jose Fernando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Roslyn Heights, NY Libra Publishers Inc 22-03-2008; Libra Publishers; Libra Publishers, Inc; Libra Publishers Incorporated
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Attitude - ethnology; Authoritarianism; Authority; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Child Abuse - psychology; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child Neglect; Child Rearing; Children & youth; Classification; Developmental Psychology; Families & family life; Family; Family - psychology; Female; Foreign Countries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Interpersonal Competence; Male; Measures (Individuals); Mothers; Parent Child Relationship; Parent-Child Relations; Parental guidance; Parenting; Parenting Styles; Parents & parenting; Prosocial Behavior; Psychological aspects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self Concept; Self Esteem; Social Adjustment; Social Values; Socialization; Teenagers; Values; Youth; Brazil; South America; America; Social environment; Human; Parental behavior; Cultural values; Neglect; Authoritarianism; Parent child relation; Social interaction; Internalization; Cultural environment; Adolescent; Family environment; Value; Self esteem; Socialization
• ISSN: 0001-8449

The relation between parenting styles and adolescent outcomes was analyzed in a sample of 1,198 15-18-year-old Brazilians. The adolescents were classified into 1 of 4 groups (Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful) on the basis of their own ratings of their parents on two dimensions: Acceptance/Involvement and Strictness/Imposition. The adolescents were then contrasted along two different outcomes: (1) priority given to Schwartz Self-transcendence and Conservation values, and (2) level of Self-esteem (appraised in 5 domains: Academic, Social, Emotional, Family, and Physical). Results showed that Authoritative and Indulgent parenting is associated with the highest internalization of Self-Transcendence and Conservation values of teenagers, whereas Authoritarian parenting is associated with the lowest. On the other hand, adolescents with Indulgent parents have equal or higher levels of Self-esteem than adolescents with Authoritative parents, while adolescents raised in Authoritarian and Neglectful homes have the lowest scores in Self-Esteem. (Contains 4 tables.)