Parenting Styles and Their Effect on Child Development and Outcome Ariana Awiszus 1 , Dr. Melissa Koenig 2# and Dr. Julie Vaisarova 3# 1 Cretin-Derham Hall High School 2 University of Minnesota 3 University of Arizona # Advisor ABSTRACT Parenting is one of the primary influences on a child’s development. There is extensive research investigating the association between parenting style and child outcome, from preschool to college years, and in different countries and cultures. This article will review the pertinent literature available on this topic to investigate which aspects of child development are influenced by different parenting styles, and which parenting style is associated with best outcomes. A significant number of studies regarding parenting strategies and their effect demonstrate that parenting style directly influences children’s psychosocial development and outcome. Multiple articles published across the world found that the authoritative parenting style was associated with better overall outcome, higher emotional regulation and lower behavioral problems than any other type of parenting. Outcomes such as school achievement, resilience, social com- petence, adjustment and prosocial behavior were evaluated in the studies we reviewed; best scores were associated with the authoritative parenting style. Clear evidence supports this parenting style and the two dimensions of parenting (warmth and responsiveness) as the most effective strategies in raising children to become competent, successful, and happy adults. Therefore, most experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), recommend the author- itative parenting style, as proven to be strongly associated with positive behavioral outcomes, and good mental health in children and adolescents. Introduction One of the oldest dilemmas in psychology involves the “nature versus nurture” debate on the factors that determine the type of person we become as adults, our affective and social characteristics. Which one is more important? A well- known 2015 study done by the Queensland Brain Institute and the VU University of Amsterdam collected and ana- lyzed data from the last 50 years of about 14.5 million pairs of twins (36). The conclusion was that genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) contribute equally to the behavior and traits developed over time. Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist at University of California Berkeley classified parenting styles into 3 categories, commonly used today: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive (8). Maccoby and Martin expanded Baumrind’s permissive parenting style into permissive style (or indulgent parenting) and neglectful style (or uninvolved parenting style), therefore creating an actual 4-parenting styles model (28). Recent surveys found that in the United States most parents (about 46%) use authoritative parenting, 26% use authoritarian parenting style, 18% permissive parenting style, and 10% neglectful parenting style. Different parenting styles have significant effects on children’s personalities (5), and are presented and ana- lyzed in many studies according to the amount of authority used and affection provided. This is definitely a complex topic and it raises many questions. A warm and supportive home environment, exposure to education activities, sta- bility, parental support and understanding are all factors proven to have a positive influence on raising children to become responsible and happy adults. Another way of viewing parenting is in the form of three directions: the parent’s Volume 11 Issue 3 (2022) ISSN: 2167-1907 www.JSR.org 1