Parental Socialization Styles and Psychological Adjustment. A Study in Spanish Adolescents

Contributing to the current debate in the literature about the optimal educational parenting style that benefits the best psychosocial adjustment of children, the aim of this study was to analyze which parenting style is related to the best psychological adjustment among Spanish adolescents. Participants in the study were 772 adolescents, 358 males (46.4%) and 414 females (53.6%) between 12 and 17 years old (M = 14.95, SD = 1.59). Families were classified according to their parenting style (authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian, or neglectful). Self-concept and psychological maladjustment in their multidimensional measures were assessed as criteria. Results showed that indulgent style, fundamentally based on affection and not on parental imposition, is related to the best results on the criteria assessed. The importance of parental affective involvement in the socialization of their children for the adequate psychological and emotional adjustment of Spanish adolescents is highlighted.