Parenting Patterns in Turkey: The associations with Academic Achievement and Self-Esteem

Family parenting patterns and child developmental outcomes have been examined in several studies in Western countries. Research shows mixed results on whether mothers and fathers under the same roof display congruent or incongruent parenting styles. Moreover, previous research shows that being raised by two authoritative parents is linked with the most positive outcomes. However, there is no study examining either family parenting patterns in non-Western cultures or whether such family parenting patterns would differ based on the child’s gender. Thus, the current study aimed to identify family parenting patterns for daughters and sons in Turkey, as well as how these family parenting patterns were linked to academic achievement and self-esteem. The sample included 195 Turkish undergraduate students (95 male and 100 female). The participants reported perceived maternal and paternal parenting styles using Buri’s Parental Authority Scale, their self-esteem using Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, and academic achievement. Two-step cluster analysis revealed four different clusters; two clusters for females and two clusters for males. The clusters for females are congruent authoritative pattern and congruent authoritarian pattern while the clusters for males are congruent authoritative pattern and congruent permissive pattern. Two separate ANCOVAs showed that among same-gender groups, there was no significant difference either in college GPA or in self-esteem scores of participants. These findings suggest that authoritarian parenting might not be negatively associated with developmental outcome in Turkey. The current study’s strengths and limitations and the implications for future research are discussed