A study of anxiety in school children as related to child-rearing attitude and some personality traits of parents

Abstract

Examined the relationships of personality traits and childrearing attitudes of parents to the anxiety of their children. An anxiety scale was administered to 160 10th- and 11th-grade Hindu school children. 40 "high" scorers (HAs) and 40 "low" scorers" (LAs) were selected. The Childrearing Attitude Scale, a scale of authoritarianism, the Rigidity Scale, and the anxiety scale were administered to the parents of both groups of Ss. Analysis of the data showed that the fathers of HAs were significantly more anxious, authoritarian, and rigid than the fathers of LAs or the mothers of HAs and that fathers of HAs had a significantly more favorable attitude toward strict discipline of the child. No significant differences were found on anxiety, rigidity, authoritarianism, or childrearing attitudes between the mothers of both groups or between the fathers and mothers of LAs. The anxiety, authoritarianism, and rigidity of the fathers but not the mothers showed significant positive relationships with their childrearing attitudes.

Keywords: Anxiety, children, child-rearing, personality traits, parents