The relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Socioeconomic Status, and Parenting Styles among Teenage Mothers

Abstract

This research explored the relationship between emotional intelligence, and parenting styles adopted by teenage mothers in a Lagos suburb in relation to their socioeconomic status. The research design employed was the cross-sectional survey design.  Two Instruments were used for data collection which are the Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ). SES was assessed by income or earnings, educational level, occupational level, and family property as listed in a sociodemographic section of the instrument. A total of 110 participants were purposively sampled for the study out of which only 84 copies of the questionnaires were duly completed and returned for analysis. The data collected were analyzed based on the proposed hypotheses using the SPSS: descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient, independent t-test and one-way MANOVA. It was found that emotional intelligence has a significant positive relationship with different parenting styles. However, the authoritative parenting style (r = .741, P< 0.05, 2-tailed) had the most significant correlation with emotional intelligence. Also, younger teenage mothers (M = 107.94, S.D = 3.89) compared to older mothers (M = 89.38, S.D = 1.76) had higher emotional intelligence scores t(82)= 4.7, p=.001. Also, differences in parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, neglectful, permissive), were not significant among the different socioeconomic status (low, middle, high). It is therefore recommended that social skills, self-awareness, self-regulation, self-management, and relationship management be incorporated into the antenatal training ‘curriculum’ for improved motherhood practices, especially for teenage mothers