Parenting Styles and Gender as Predictors of Social Intelligence among Adolescents in Idoma Land

Abstract

The research investigated parenting style and gender as predictors of social intelligence among adolescents in Idoma Land. The study adopted the ex post facto research design. Questionnaires on parenting style and social intelligence were used for data collection. A total of two hundred and ninety four (294) participants made up of 151 males and 143 females participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 12-17 years. Findings showed that only permissive parenting style positively and significantly predicts social intelligence (? = 118; p < .05) while authoritarian parenting style (? = .113; p > .05); authoritative (? = .102; p > .05) and gender (? = -.064; p >.05) did not predict social intelligence. The result also reveal that parenting style and gender jointly and significantly predict social intelligence on F value of 3.585 which is significant at 0.01 alpha level. It is recommended that NGOs, private firms, stakeholders within the field and related government agencies should take into consideration the impact of parenting styles on social intelligence in order to organize seminars, workshops, talk shows and public lectures for parents and the masses as well as to create awareness, and the need for counselors, to educate parents about social intelligence. Parents on the other hand should adopt suitable parenting styles that will boast their children’s level of social intelligence.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p181