The Influence of Maternal Child-Rearing Attitudes and Teaching Behaviors on Preschoolers' Delay of Gratification

Abstract

This study was an exploratory examination of the influence of mothers' teaching behaviors, strategies, and child-rearing attitudes on their children's ability to delay gratification. In an externally imposed delay of gratification situation, 30 mothers from a rural university community taught their children strategies that could help them refrain from touching a brightly wrapped present when the mothers left the room. Results showed that mothers of children who did not delay gratification exhibited teaching behaviors and child-rearing attitudes consistent with a permissive parenting style, whereas mothers of children who did delay gratification exhibited teaching behaviors and child-rearing attitudes consistent with an authoritative parenting style. The results of this study are discussed with respect to the development of children's self-control and self-regulatory abilities.

The Psychological Presence of Family Improves Self-Control

“…In contrast, permissive parents rarely correct their children's misbehavior, preferring to let children manage themselves. Mauro and Harris (2000) found that authoritative parents have children with better self-control than the children of permissive parents, as measured by the children's capacity to refrain from touching a brightly wrapped gift when left alone with the instructions not to touch it. In other words, a parenting style associated with warmth, love, and direction corresponds with better self-control than does a laissez-faire approach to parenting-consistent with our findings that psychological family presence results in improved self-control.…”

Parental strategies for assisting children to wait

“…The children of mothers who chose this strategy were less successful at waiting when left alone to wait. Mothers whose children were not able to delay gratification both spoke much more frequently than did mothers whose children could delay and also spoke about the need to follow the rules significantly more often than mothers whose children did delay (Mauro & Harris, 2000). In addition, children whose mothers suggested focusing on the gift had more difficulty waiting than those who mothers did not suggest this strategy.…”

“…Authoritative parenting has been found to be associated with better child outcomes than have the other two approaches in many studies, and across a range of outcomes (see Chao, 2001;Denham et al, 1991;Eccles et al, 1997, for example). Mauro and Harris (2000), Reitman and Gross (1997) and Silverman and Ragusa (1990) have all reported evidence that overcontrolling mothers and/or permissive mothers (based on Baumrind's classification) are less effective in developing self-regulation in their children than are authoritative mothers.…”

“…When asked, mothers endorsed the least effective strategies (as identified by Mischel and colleagues) as likely to be the most helpful in assisting their children to wait. When examining maternal strategies for teaching delay of gratification, Mauro and Harris (2000) found that mothers were more likely to focus on the task (i.e. don't touch!)…”

“…In its most sophisticated form this process is entirely self-generated (known as self-imposed delay of gratification); however, there are many instances where individuals are required Parental strategies for assisting children to wait rience. Chronological age (Houck & LeCruyer-Maus, 2004;Mauro & Harris, 2000), mental age (Cuskelly et al, 2003) and language ability (Cuskelly et al, 2001) have all been shown to be associated with ability to delay. Children with Down syndrome have been found to have difficulty delaying gratification in both other-and selfimposed situations (Cuskelly et al, 2003;Kopp, 1990) in comparison with mental age matched peers.…”