The measurement of attitudes toward parental control and the social adjustments of children

Abstract

Questionnaire items for the two types of attitudes significant in determining the adjustments of children were submitted for rating on a 7-point scale of agreement-disagreement. "Psychologists, on the average, approve of freedom for children and disapprove of strong external control. They approve of an extravert social adjustment in a child, and disapprove of extremely introvert behavior. Students, in general, take a neutral stand on these questions. Parents, on the average, express the belief that children should have some freedom, but at the same time they insist that children should be kept under control so strict as to render this freedom practically inoperative. As compared with psychologists, parents approve of introvert and disapprove of extravert social behavior." (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)