Controlling parents or helicopter parents can be very toxic to children of all ages. According to a new study, they might also lead children to become meaner and more aggressive when they grow up.
Medical Daily reports that a research team led by Jamie Abaied conducted a study that involved almost 200 college students. The researchers gave the college participants some questions that would give an indication about how each student would respond to different stressful situations such as painful events with people close to them, arguments with a roommate and breaking up with a romantic partner.
The researchers observed and recorded the perspiration levels of each student to measure their response to each event or situation. The greater the student's perspiration level is, the more likely for him or her t
o be upset and stressed with the situation.
"Participants with a 'high arousal' response were considered hot-tempered and more likely to react without thought -- for example, hitting the "send" button on a nasty email immediately," the report said. However, the students with lower perspiration levels showed a calmer and more relaxed response to different painful and stressful situations.
The most revealing finding of the study involves the parenting style of the college students' parents. Those who were calmer and more relaxed have less controlling parents
while those who were more aggressive have more controlling parents.
"We need to be really mindful of how influential the parents are," Abaied said. "It seems like good parenting protects them. Good parenting prevents them from being aggressive in their peer relationships."
A separate study conducted by UCL on people from England, Scotland and Wales shows that those who have caring, loving and less controlling parents were more likely to be happier and more content people all throughout their life. The study also found out that controlling parents caused their children to have poorer mental well-being when they grew up, compared to less controlling parents.
