Individual Psychology Lifestyles and Parenting Style in Lithuanian Parents of 6-to 12-year-olds

Background. Although numerous research studies related to the connection between parents’ personality and parenting have continually supported the signi!cance of personality as an important variable in predicting parenting behaviors, the !ndings are mostly limited to the !ve-trait personality model, parental psychopathology or the samples of adolescents’ parents. Purpose. In this research study we examined the relationship of the personality construct of lifestyle proposed in the theory of Individual Psychology and parenting styles based on Baumrind’s parenting model with a Lithuanian sample. Materials and Methods. The Basic Adlerian Scales for Interpersonal Success-Adult Form (BASIS-A; Wheeler, Kern, & Curlette, 1993) and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire – Short Version (PSDQ-Short Version; Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen, & Hart, 2001) were administered to 615 parents from seven Lithuanian cities. The !nal sample consisted of 577 parents. Results and Conclusions. The !ndings of the study were that a large number of lifestyle personality attributes measured by the BASIS-A were interrelated to the authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles as described by Baumrind. The most relevant prognostic value !ndings were related to the Belonging/ Social Interest, Being Cautious and Wanting Recognition major scales and the Harshness, Striving for Perfection and Softness supporting scales related to the authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. When the results of this study were compared to previous research in North America, there were modest similarities in !ndings.