Effects of Perceived Parenting Styles on the Emotional Intelligence of Adolescents

Emotional Intelligence has been observed to play a very vital role in the lives of people. One key factor that contributes greatly to the development of one’s emotional intelligence is perceived parenting style. This implies that it is essential to increase the knowledge concerning the best ways in which parents can raise their children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of perceived parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative and permissive) on the emotional intelligence of adolescents. Additionally, this study looked at the relationships existing among parenting styles, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, positive relations with others and academic performance. Path analysis was used to observe the association existing between perceived parenting styles, emotional intelligent, positive relations, self-esteem and academic performance of Ghanaian adolescents. Results indicated a significant positive indirect effect of perceived fathers’ and mothers’ authoritative styles on positive relations, on self-esteem and on academic performance through emotional intelligent. Findings revealed the important role parents play in the development of their children’s emotional intelligence. This study shows the necessity for parents to adapt authoritative parenting style to better the emotional intelligence of their children.