The Prediction of Children's Self-Esteem Based on Parents' Parenting Styles and Mothers' Religiosity

The aim of this study was to predict children's self-esteem based on parents' parenting styles and mothers' religiosity. 350 students were selected among fourth and fifth grade elementary school students in the city of Qom by the cluster sampling. They answered Rosenberg's (1965) self-esteem scale and their mothers responded to Janbozorgi's (2009) religiosity questionnaire and Baumrind's (1973) parenting style questionnaire. Analyzing the data by the correlation and path analysis demonstrated that authoritative parenting style increases children's self-esteem and authoritarian and permissive parenting styles have not any significant effect on children's self-esteem. Mothers' religiosity increases children's self-esteem and mothers' religious ambivalence and their irreligiosity decrease children's self-esteem. Based on the pattern of path analysis, these two variables indirectly affect parenting style and as a result influence children's self-esteem. Regarding this significant pattern, these two variables can be explained for the dependent variable at a causal level. Therefore, religiosity as a positive variable and religious ambivalence as a negative variable influence parenting style and as a result increase or decrease children's self-esteem