Discuss evidence indicating that acceptance/responsiveness is a significant dimension in parental childrearing practices that has a marked impact on a number of developmental outcomes

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Parental acceptance/responsiveness generally refers to the amount of affection and approval a parent displays toward the child. Research indicates that parental approaches to childrearing can be placed at any point along this dimension, with likely results as follows: children of parents who are warm and accepting tend to have been more securely attached, and they tend to be competent students, relatively altruistic, obedient and noncoercive toward peers, high in self-esteem and role-taking skills, satisfied with their gender identities, and likely to use internalized norms of social conduct, compared to children whose parents are cold and hostile. In turn, research indicates that children tend to appreciate warmth in the form of affection and approval, whereas children of hostile parents may feel rejected and may later even become clinically depressed. Acceptance/responsiveness by the parents clearly has a strong impact on many areas of development.