Wendy Grolnick - Pressured Parents, Stressed Out Kids

Wendy Grolnick, a professor at Clark University, discusses her research on motivation and parental influence. She explores how rewarding activities can alter motivation and highlights the importance of autonomy. Her studies reveal that controlling parenting can negatively impact children's motivation and school regulation. Grolnick shares her personal experiences with parental pressure and examines factors that lead to controlling behavior. She emphasizes nurturing children's passion and using autonomy-supportive techniques to foster success.

What did Wendy Grolnick initially study in her research career?

• Motivational psychology

• Childhood development

• Parent-child attachment

• Parental influence on education

How does external reward affect intrinsic motivation according to the research?

• It decreases intrinsic motivation

• It has no effect on motivation

• It enhances intrinsic motivation

• It only affects motivation in adults

What parenting style was found to negatively impact children's motivation and persistence?

• Neglectful

• Controlling

• Permissive

• Autonomy-supportive

What did Grolnick realize about her own parenting tendencies?

• She was indifferent to her children's social groups

• She felt pressure to ensure her children's success

• She never felt pressured

• She was always autonomy-supportive

What did Grolnick find lacking in the existing literature on controlling parenting?

• Studies on autonomy-supportive parenting

• Pathological models explaining controlling behavior

• Analysis of children's academic performance

• Research on parental education levels

What societal factor contributes to controlling parenting according to Grolnick?

• Decline in family values

• Increased competition and pressure for success

• Overabundance of leisure time

• Lack of educational resources

What is the key to children's success as per Grolnick's findings?

• Children's passion and interest

• High academic standards

• Early childhood education

• Strict parental control