The role of parenting styles in shaping children’s creativity and creative self-beliefsPaper
On a sample of 552 high school students, the present study investigated the relationships between perceived parenting dimensions, and children’s creative abilities assessed by the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP) as well as their creative self-beliefs (i.e. creative self-efficacy and creative personal identity). Results indicated that the dimension of parental child acceptance and autonomy support were weakly but positively related to children’s creative self-efficacy and creative personal identity. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between parental autonomy support and children’s creative abilities. To sum up, the present study clearly indicated the role of parenting styles in shaping children’s creative self-beliefs. The bivariate correlational analyses and structural equation modeling we conducted reveal that mothers’ parenting autonomy in relations with children effects in an increase of children’s creative self-efficacy. This relation clearly shows that children’s creative self-efficacy is associated with such parental behaviors as allowing the child to make independent decisions and experiment, or encouraging the child to solve problems independently. Results of this study show that parents who want to shape their children’s creative-self efficacy should avoid imposing their will on them, create conditions for independent activity, and exhibit tolerance to mistakes made by their children. After all, such behaviors may incite the child to continue undertaking creative activities and not be discouraged. In the longer term, this type of activities may lead to realizing the child’s creative potential in the future, which may then lead to significant creative achievements.