Researchers know from previous studies that authoritarian parenting styles affect how kids handle certain types of tasks related to a developmental skillset known as ‘theory of mind.’
In the latest study, though, a different aspect of parenting was examined. Rather than focusing solely on overall parenting styles, researchers sought to determine whether the types of rhetoric parents used when interacting with their children influenced their ability to develop skills related to empathy and understanding.
They categorized the way that parents spoke about different images (based on ‘ingroup’ and ‘outgroup’ designations) and found a correlation in kids’ ability to perform theory of mind tasks.
Wait, What Is Theory Of Mind?
Theory of mind is all about understanding that other people also have their own thoughts and may not have the same understanding and information that you have.
For example, if you played a rain sound on a speaker and asked your child what the weather is like, he might expect that it is raining. Then, you may open a window and show him that it is sunny out, and that the sound is coming from a device.
Now, if you ask him, “When your brother comes in the room, will he think it is sunny outside, or raining?”
Your child’s task is to understand that even though he has the information obtained by looking out the window, his brother will not, and thus his brother will also draw the false conclusion that it is raining outside.
It’s also known as cognitive perspective-taking, and this skill set, which begins developing between the ages of 3 and 5, is crucial for effective communication, connection, and empathy with others.
How Were Parents & Rhetoric Categorized?
Researchers assessed the parents using a social dominance orientation (SDO) scale and a right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) scale, both of which measure a person’s adherence to social hierarchies.
These scales measure how people feel about authoritarian ideas, including the concepts of ‘ingroups’ and ‘outgroups,’ submission to authority, traditional views, and conformity.
Then, PsyPost explains, they listened as the mothers described a series of pictures to their children, tallying words related to mental state, such as “think,” “want,” “feel,” and “hope.”
The participants were from New Zealand, and the photos were divided into two groups, including some of European children (designated as the ‘ingroup’) and others of Chinese children (deemed the ‘outgroup’). Mothers who rated higher on the authoritarianism and social dominance scales used the mental state words more frequently when describing ‘ingroup’ images, and less when describing ‘outgroup’ children.
So, How Did Their Kids Fare On Theory Of Mind Tasks?
One might expect that the kids’ skill sets would mirror those of their parents — that they’d be better at performing theory of mind tasks when the task related to a subject in their ‘ingroup.’
Instead, the kids whose parents used mental state words less frequently performed more poorly on these tasks, no matter whether the subject of the task was in the ingroup or outgroup.
Ultimately, the researchers found that the theory of mind did not develop as well in children whose parents scored high on the SDO and RWA scales, even after adjusting for age, parental education level, and socioeconomic status.
Although this study had a relatively small sample size, it appears to support the idea that when parents discuss the needs, desires, and feelings of people they deem similar to and dissimilar from them, it has a positive effect on children’s development of a theory of mind.
What Other Factors Affect Theory Of Mind?
Past studies on the development of the theory of mind have shown different outcomes over different cultures and parenting styles.
For instance, a review in the International Journal of Indian Psychology reflects on studies that found authoritarian parenting to have a negative effect, and maternal education level has a positive effect.
It found that “power assertive discipline techniques,” such as yelling and spanking, have negative effects on the development of these skills, while a higher tolerance in children to argue their own side of an issue has positive effects.
Parenting strategies that involved helping kids understand and manage their own emotions, rather than dismissing, minimizing, or demanding control of their emotions, also were shown to help children develop a theory of mind.
One contrasting note: a 2001 study published in ScienceDirect found the reverse result between children whose mothers leaned toward authoritarian parenting styles and those who leaned toward authoritative parenting styles.
In that case, the researchers, examining the data afterward, found that the children of the more authoritarian-leaning moms (a group of Korean-Americans) performed better than their Anglo-American (and less authoritarian) counterparts. They theorized that this might be related to a more collectivist cultural background, in which the social norms rely more heavily on the general good rather than individualism.
Although this study was an outlier compared to others, it does reinforce the notion that there are many factors influencing children’s development of a theory of mind.