Parenting styles: the role of beliefs, preferences, and constraints - a study protocol

Abstract

We describe the protocol of a study designed to elicit subjective expectations that influence parenting style choices in a lower-middle-income country. We combine a survey experiment with a theoretical model to examine the role of parental beliefs, preferences, and constraints in driving parenting style decisions in a sample of peri-urban Ghanaian parents (target <em>N</em> = 2,400). We use hypothetical scenarios to elicit parental beliefs regarding the perceived returns of authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles for children’s future income and support to their parents, the perceived costs associated with implementing such styles, and the trade-offs between time spent with children and other activities. We embed this novel survey in a large-scale field experiment testing the impact of a parenting program that promotes culturally adapted authoritative parenting practices. This will also enable us to analyze how parenting interventions impact parental beliefs and the role of beliefs in behavioral change. With this study, we aim to offer insights into the underlying drivers of parental choices and the behavioral mechanisms underlying the impact of parenting programs, contributing to the design of more effective interventions.