Educational Process International Journal, cilt.9, sa.3, ss.153-168, 2020 (Hakemli Dergi)
Using data from undergraduates in both Turkey and the United States, we examined
cultural differences in the perceived parenting authority styles and the links between
perceived parenting authority styles, academic achievement, and self-esteem. We also
examined the separate contributions of fathers and mothers in each country. A total of
423 undergraduates (196 from Turkey and 227 from the US) completed the Buri Parent
Authority Questionnaire to report on the parenting styles of their parents. They also
reported on their own college GPA and completed the Rosenberg self-esteem
measure. Some adjustment of the parenting scales was needed in order to achieve
cross-cultural measurement invariance. Our study revealed that there were differences
of parental style both between and within the two countries. Fathers were reported to
be more authoritarian than mothers, and mothers to be more authoritative. Higher
levels of authoritarian parenting by fathers was found in the American data. Some
parental authority measures were associated with the students’ self-esteem, and all of
these involved paternal authority. Paternal authoritarian parenting was negatively
associated with the students’ self-esteem in the Turkish data, with paternal
authoritative parenting positively associated with the self-esteem of the American
students only. The study’s findings suggest that researchers should not ignore
differences in parental authority style between mothers and fathers, nor differences
between different countries. In particular, the role of fathers should not be
overlooked.