Relationship between Personality and Parenting Styles

Parental personality traits play an important role in determining parenting behaviors. This paper intends to critically analyze the relationship between parental personality and parenting behavior. It explores the big five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness) and consequent parenting behaviors (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive). With regard to parenting styles, agreeable type individuals are most probable to be authoritative parents, which is also considered as the most favorable and balanced parenting style. Neuroticism and low conscientiousness types are associated with authoritarian and permissive parenting styles. Extraversion and openness did not relate to any general parenting style. Gender studies revealed that women are more likely to adopt authoritative style of parenting when compared to men but there are no significant differences seen in authoritarian or permissive parenting styles.