Answer to Question #139585 in Psychology for Natalie Larson

Question

Provide two examples of how temperament and parenting practices affect socialization

Answer 1

The Effects of Temperament and Parenting Practices

At some level, both a child's nature and parenting practices affect how a child interacts and behave in society. The two areas a child will eventually socialise with other members of the community is in learning institutions and the workplace. Temperament is a person's nature which permanently affects the behaviour or disposition of a person. On the other hand, parenting is a process which promotes and supports child development from infancy to adulthood.  A child develops physical, emotional, social and intellectual and the parents, guardians or caretakers must monitor this development. There is a complex relationship between temperament and parenting practices (Bates and Pettit, 2007). A person’s nature and the parenting methods he or she grows through will determine how the person develops socially.

A child is not a passive receiver of external experiences; the current concepts propose that a child can influence its development (Bell, 1968). Under this concept, a child plays an important role in determining its own experiences by the selection of its activities and the effects its behaviour has upon its caretakers (Sameroff & Fiese, 2000). For example, an impulsive child with a short attention span is likely to experience difficulties in learning institutions (Tizard & Hughes, 1984).

The ‘goodness of fit ‘theory presupposes that a child’s temperament should be analysed as a relation between the child and the environment that surrounds the child; this includes parenting practices. The expectations and attitudes of caregivers impact the nature of a child. This theory outlines that positive interaction and adjustments are expected when a person's disposition fits the demand of a certain social context. The opposite happens when a person's nature does not match a required social context (Lerner and Galambos, 1985).  For example, a child with a shy disposition is likely to be less socially skilled and will avoid participating in social activities. A parent who raises a child in a strict environment which limits the interaction of a child with other persons will help in forming the shy nature of a child.

 A child's temperament and parenting practices can have either positive or adverse effects on how the child interacts socially. However, each child should grow up in an environment that is positive for them to adapt effectively. 

References

Bates, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (2007). Temperament, parenting, and socialisation. Handbook of socialisation, 2, 153-177.

Bell, R. Q. (1968). A reinterpretation of the direction of effects in studies of socialisation. Psychological review, 75(2), 81.

Lerner, J. V., & Galambos, N. L. (1985). Mother role satisfaction, mother–child interaction, and child temperament: A process model. Developmental Psychology, 21(6), 1157.

Sameroff, A. J., & Fiese, B. H. (2000). Transactional regulation: The developmental ecology of early intervention. Handbook of early childhood intervention, 2, 135-159.

Tizard, B., & Hughes, M. (1984). Children learning at home and in school. London: Fontana.