Family background effects on personality development and social acceptance

Abstract

A network of background factors was hypothesized to affect personality development, and a complex of background and personality characteristics was hypothesized to influence acceptance-rejection by peers. Data were gathered to 100 families to measure variables at four levels: (A) Family background including social factors, (B) Parental child-rearing attitudes and practices, (C) Characteristics of the child, and (D) Social acceptance of the child by his peers. Results indicated that: (1) pivotal linkages were established throughout the hypothetical network of relationships; (2) family background factors were associated with variables at each of the other levels; (3) family tension had a disrupting influence on child-rearing practices, the child's characteristics, and on the social acceptance of the child by peers; (4) parental loving-rejecting showed influence on the child's personality development and social acceptance; (5) parental disagreement influenced the child's personality development in a wide area, especially that of ego development; and (6) the stimulus value of the child, in terms of his personality traits and characteristics, was the principal determinant of peer acceptance-rejection.