Gender and family structure as moderators in the relationship between parenting styles and identity development among adolescents - Basson, Monique (University of the Free State, 2018)
Adolescence is considered a crucial period for the development of an identity. Various factors affect this development. One of these factors is the perceived parenting styles to which adolescents are exposed: authoritative, authoritarian, or permissive parenting. The focus was specifically on adolescents’ perception of the parenting style they are exposed to. Another factor includes the family structure in which adolescents live. The various possible family structures were grouped into either nuclear or non-nuclear family structures. Additionally, the gender of the individual can also be considered a factor, as males and females differ much with regard to the development of an identity Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of gender and family structure in the relationship between perceived parenting styles and identity development among adolescents. A non-experimental quantitative research approach and a non-probability, convenience sampling method were utilised. A sample of 243 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 20 was recruited from a high school in the Mangaung area of central South Africa. A biographic questionnaire provided information about the participants' age, gender, ethnic group, and family structure. The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ), which is based on Marcia’s identity status theory, was utilised to measure adolescents’ ego identity development, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ), which is based on Baumrind's work, measured perceived parenting style. Data were then analysed by means of various methods, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and standard regression analyses. Together, the authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles uniquely explained a significant amount of variance in identity. The authoritarian parenting style explained 3.4% of the variance in identity development, and the authoritative parenting style explained 10.7% of the variance in identity development. Gender was found to play a significant moderating role in the forming of identity in the case of the authoritative parenting style, but not in the case of the permissive or authoritarian parenting styles. It was found that family structure did not play a significant moderating role in the three perceived parenting styles. It is evident from this study that various factors influence the development of an adolescents’ identity.

Adolessensie word beskou as 'n belangrike tydperk vir die ontwikkeling van 'n identiteit. Verskeie faktore beïnvloed hierdie ontwikkeling. Een van hierdie faktore is die waargenome ouerskapstyle waaraan hulle blootgestel word, hetsy gesaghebbende, outoritêre of permissiewe ouerskap. Waarvan "waargenome" verwys word na die ouerskapstyl wat die adolessent glo hulle in hul huishouding aan blootgestel word. Nog 'n faktor is die gesinstruktuur waarin hulle woon, wat 'n kern- of nie-kernstruktuur kan hê. Alhoewel kern- en nie-kernfamiliestrukture nie die enigste strukture is waarvolgens 'n gesin gemeet kan word nie, word hulle in hierdie studie gebruik om die begrip van die familiestrukture waarin die deelnemers hulself bevind, te vereenvoudig. Bykomend kan die geslag van die individu ook as 'n faktor beskou word, aangesien mans en vroue baie verskil ten opsigte van die ontwikkeling van 'n identiteit. Daarom was die doel van hierdie studie om die modereringsrol van geslag- en gesinsstruktuur in die verhouding tussen waargenome ouerskapstyle en identiteitsontwikkeling onder adolessente te ondersoek. 'n Nie-eksperimentele kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is aangewend, met 'n nie-waarskynlikheid, gerieflikheidsteekproefneming-metode. 'n Steekproef van 243 adolessente tussen die ouderdomme van 16 en 20 is van 'n hoërskool in die Mangaung-gebied van sentraal-Suid-Afrika gewerf. 'n Biografiese vraelys het inligting oor deelnemers se ouderdom, geslag, etniese groep en gesinsstruktuur verskaf. Die “Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ)”, wat op Marcia se identiteitstatus-teorie gebaseer is, is gebruik om adolessente se ego-identiteitsontwikkeling te meet, en die “Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ)”, wat op Baumrind se werk gebaseer is, het waargenome ouerskapstyl gemeet. Data is toe met behulp van verskeie metodes, insluitende beskrywende statistiek, inferensiële statistiek en standaard regressie van analise, ontleed. Beide die outoritêre en gesaghebbende ouerskapstyle het ‘n unieke hoeveelheid variansie in identiteit verklaar. Die outoritêre ouerskapstyl verklaar 3,4% van die verskille in identiteitsontwikkeling, en die gesaghebbende ouerskapstyl 10,7% van die verskille. Daar is gevind dat geslag 'n beduidende modereringsrol speel in die vorming van identiteit in die geval van die gesaghebbende ouerkapstyl, maar nie in die geval van die permissiewe of outoritêre ouerskapstyle nie. Daar is bevind dat familiestruktuur geen beduidende modereringsrol in die drie waargenome ouerskapstyle gespeel het nie. Die bydrae van waargenome ouerskapstyle was waardevol aangesien beduidende resultate is gevind ten opsigte van gesaghebbende en outoritêre ouerskap style en die bedrag van variansie wat hulle bydra. Ander faktore, insluitend geslag en familie struktuur is ook oorweeg, omrede hulle beskou word as faktore wat die ontwikkeling van identiteit tydens adolessensie beïnvloed.
Dissertation (M.Soc.Sc. (Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2018
Keywords: Adolescence; Family structure; Gender; Identity development; Perceived parenting style