Presentation Type
Event
Project Type
Research proposal
Primary Department
Psychology
Description
Tiger parenting refers to a parenting style that is common among families in the East Asian cultural sphere (e.g., China, Korea, Viet Nam), characterized by high levels of parental control, harshness, and demandingness, with the primary goal of cultivating “success” in children (Cheah et al., 2013; Choi et al., 2013; Juang et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2013). The parenting style caught the attention of Western audiences thanks to Amy Chua’s 2011 book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, though it has largely been met with apprehensiveness and criticism. Many Western parents were concerned about tiger parenting’s possible effects on children, drawing similarities between tiger parenting and authoritarian parenting (Juang et al., 2013). Tiger parenting’s shot to “stardom” also produced research interest, with studies examining associations between tiger parenting and children’s outcomes. Among the limited body of research on tiger parenting, several studies identified a pattern where parents attest to the presence of parental warmth amidst the supposedly “harsh” and/or “authoritarian” characteristics of tiger parenting. This observation opens two research questions that can yield meaningful insights. First, the simultaneous presence of parental warmth and harsh parenting practices in tiger parenting challenges the popular notion that tiger parenting is more authoritarian than authoritative (Juang et al., 2013). In Baumrind’s parenting style theory, one of the key differences between authoritarian and authoritative parenting lies within the level of parental warmth/supportiveness (Baumrind, 1967; 2013). Whereas authoritarian parenting is high in demandingness and low in supportiveness, authoritative parenting is high in both dimensions (Baumrind, 1967). Therefore, with evidence showing that tiger parenting, a high demandingness parenting style, might have high levels of parental warmth, it is possible that tiger parenting might more closely resemble authoritative parenting than authoritarian parenting. Examining this research question can meaningfully add to the literature and guide future research. Second, examining the presence of parental warmth in tiger parenting might elucidate the “achievement-adjustment” paradox. The “achievement-adjustment” paradox refers to the phenomenon where children are high in achievements but low in psychological adjustment (Choi et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2013). Most often, this is anecdotally associated with tiger parenting (Choi et al., 2013) due to its supposedly high levels of demandingness and high levels of harsh parenting. However, with evidence suggesting that tiger parenting might be also characterized by parental warmth, the association between the achievement-adjustment paradox and tiger parenting warrants further investigation. Examining whether tiger parenting and similar parenting practices can negatively impact children, pushing them to “success” at the cost of mental health well-being, can produce real world impacts and help aid parents and children reach their full potential. To efficiently answer these two research questions, a mixed methods approach using thematic analysis and self-report surveys. Employing this methodology will provide a comprehensive and nuanced answer to the two research questions, as the qualitative approach will provide much needed context to the quantitative portion of the study.
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Tiger parenting: Authoritarian or authoritative?
Tiger parenting refers to a parenting style that is common among families in the East Asian cultural sphere (e.g., China, Korea, Viet Nam), characterized by high levels of parental control, harshness, and demandingness, with the primary goal of cultivating “success” in children (Cheah et al., 2013; Choi et al., 2013; Juang et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2013). The parenting style caught the attention of Western audiences thanks to Amy Chua’s 2011 book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, though it has largely been met with apprehensiveness and criticism. Many Western parents were concerned about tiger parenting’s possible effects on children, drawing similarities between tiger parenting and authoritarian parenting (Juang et al., 2013). Tiger parenting’s shot to “stardom” also produced research interest, with studies examining associations between tiger parenting and children’s outcomes. Among the limited body of research on tiger parenting, several studies identified a pattern where parents attest to the presence of parental warmth amidst the supposedly “harsh” and/or “authoritarian” characteristics of tiger parenting. This observation opens two research questions that can yield meaningful insights. First, the simultaneous presence of parental warmth and harsh parenting practices in tiger parenting challenges the popular notion that tiger parenting is more authoritarian than authoritative (Juang et al., 2013). In Baumrind’s parenting style theory, one of the key differences between authoritarian and authoritative parenting lies within the level of parental warmth/supportiveness (Baumrind, 1967; 2013). Whereas authoritarian parenting is high in demandingness and low in supportiveness, authoritative parenting is high in both dimensions (Baumrind, 1967). Therefore, with evidence showing that tiger parenting, a high demandingness parenting style, might have high levels of parental warmth, it is possible that tiger parenting might more closely resemble authoritative parenting than authoritarian parenting. Examining this research question can meaningfully add to the literature and guide future research. Second, examining the presence of parental warmth in tiger parenting might elucidate the “achievement-adjustment” paradox. The “achievement-adjustment” paradox refers to the phenomenon where children are high in achievements but low in psychological adjustment (Choi et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2013). Most often, this is anecdotally associated with tiger parenting (Choi et al., 2013) due to its supposedly high levels of demandingness and high levels of harsh parenting. However, with evidence suggesting that tiger parenting might be also characterized by parental warmth, the association between the achievement-adjustment paradox and tiger parenting warrants further investigation. Examining whether tiger parenting and similar parenting practices can negatively impact children, pushing them to “success” at the cost of mental health well-being, can produce real world impacts and help aid parents and children reach their full potential. To efficiently answer these two research questions, a mixed methods approach using thematic analysis and self-report surveys. Employing this methodology will provide a comprehensive and nuanced answer to the two research questions, as the qualitative approach will provide much needed context to the quantitative portion of the study.
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