The research indicates that both parents tend to prefer daughters to their children and the most pleasant and obedient children.
A new study suggests that parents are more likely to treat daughters more favorably than their children and to show preference for children considered more pleasant and conscientious.
The analysis, at Psychological Bulletin, analyzed data from 30 studies involving about 20 000 participants In North America and in Western Europe, predominantly white. Investigators warn that conclusions may not apply to other demographic groups.
Researchers analyzed family dynamics using data from interviews, inquiries and observations at home. They examined factors such as birth order, sex, temperament, and personality traits – such as pleasing, conscientiousness, extroversion and neuroticism – and the way these characteristics correlated with parents’ behavior. The favorable treatment was interactedfinancial investment and the level of control that parents exerted on their children, says.
Interestingly, the study concluded that pleasant children, which are more likely to fulfill the requests And presenting cooperative behavior, may be easier to manage by parents, which leads to a more positive response from these. However, the researchers observed that their analysis only identified correlations and did not determine the reason for the existence of these standards.
The study, whose co-author Alexander Jensen, an associate professor at Brigham Young University, stresses that preferential treatment refers to behaviors such as spend more time with a childdemonstrate more affection or have less conflicts with it. Jensen emphasized, “It’s not about parents to love one child and hate the other.”
Jensen hopes that the study encourages parents to reflect on how they treat their children, ensuring that differences are viewed as fair and justified. “If children understand why they are treated differently, then the differences are not important,” he said.
Future investigation aims to explore whether these preferences remain in various cultures and phases of life, including the parental treatment of adult children.
