Six Dimensions of Parenting: A Motivational Model

Objective. A motivational conceptualization provided the basis for identifying 6 core features of parenting style (warmth, rejection, structure, chaos, autonomy support, and coercion) and constructing 2 measures to assess them (1 for parents and 1 for children). Design. Self-report data were collected from independent samples of parents (N = 1212, 645 mothers and 567 fathers) and adolescent children (N = 3,752). Results. Models of multiple (unipolar) dimensions provided a significantly better fit than traditional models of bipolar dimensions. Moreover, correlations among dimensions suggested that dimensions can be aggregated in several ways. Conclusion. The conceptual framework and measures can contribute to future work on parenting, including research designed to map the many constructs that describe parenting, and studies that explore how parenting style shapes child and adolescent outcomes.