Parental Interest and Children's Self-Conceptions

Studies examining the relationship of parental attitudes to the personality of the child have often neglected the factor of parental interest. The relationship of parental interest to the child's level of self-esteem is examined in a study of high school juniors and seniors in ten schools. Three indicators of parental interest, representing recurrent points of contact between parent and child, are utilized. Although great or moderate amounts of parental interest are not associated with substantial differences in self-esteem, extreme parental indifference is clearly related to low self-esteem. There is evidence to suggest that such extreme parental indifference may be even more closely associated with low self-esteem than punitive reactions on the part of the parents.