A Study of the Role of Parenting Styles in Moral Development of Tehrani Adolescent Girls

This study aimed to determine the role of parenting styles in moral development of adolescent girls. The statistical population of the research consisted of all fifth, eighth, and eleventh graders in Tehran (11, 14, and 17- year-old students) as well as their parents. Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used and as a result 90 students were selected (30 students in each grade). The parents of the selected students (180 individuals) comprised the other sample of the study. The instrumentation included parenting styles questionnaire as well as Kohlberg’s moral development test. Results of the study were consistent with Kohlberg’s theory according to which moral development has a universal pattern and its sequence is invariant in all cultures. More specifically, adolescent girls moved through the stages of moral development in the same constant order. In addition, there was a significant relationship between moral development and parenting styles in the 10 to 11 age group. However, this association was not observed in the other two age groups. Furthermore, the findings of the study indicated that students’ moral development was affected more by maternal parenting style in the 10 to 11 age group.