Parental _____ consists of excessive care and control over the child and results in lack of self- confidence.

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
Parental **Overprotectiveness** precisely fits the description of a parenting style characterized by *excessive care and control* over a child, which fundamentally results in a *lack of self-confidence* and stunted development. This style, sometimes referred to as "helicopter parenting," involves parents micromanaging a child's actions, intervening to prevent any discomfort or failure, and limiting age-appropriate risks, often due to intense parental anxiety about the child's safety. By consistently removing obstacles and making decisions for the child, the parent inadvertently sends a message that the child is incapable, fragile, or that the world is too dangerous to navigate alone. As a result, the child is deprived of the essential opportunities to try, fail, solve problems, and master challenges, which are the building blocks of competence, resilience, and a strong sense of self-efficacy. This undermined autonomy and chronic dependence can then crystallize into low confidence, anxiety, fearfulness, and a reliance on others for validation and direction, directly fulfilling the conditions stated in the question.

The incorrect option is 2:
**Permissiveness**, or the indulgent parenting style, is characterized by *high responsiveness* (warmth and nurturing) but *low demands* and *low control*—the opposite of "excessive control" described in the question. Permissive parents often act more like a friend than an authority figure, setting few rules, rarely enforcing consequences, and giving children extensive freedom over their choices and behavior. Children raised in this environment tend to struggle with self-control, impulsivity, and respecting boundaries because they lack necessary structure and expectations. While these children may initially exhibit high self-esteem and good social skills due to the parental warmth, their major struggle is typically with discipline and self-regulation, rather than a lack of self-confidence stemming from being overly controlled.

The incorrect option is 3:
Parental **Rejection** refers to a parenting style (often categorized under the *uninvolved* or *neglectful* style) where parents are unresponsive, emotionally distant, and fail to provide adequate emotional support or structure. Unlike the question's focus on "excessive care and control," parental rejection is marked by *minimal care* and a lack of emotional involvement. While rejection absolutely leads to severe negative outcomes like low self-esteem, poor self-confidence, and a feeling of being overlooked, the primary maladaptive behavior is *disengagement*, not the intrusive, controlling oversight central to the question's definition.

The incorrect option is 4:
**Favouritism** involves a parent showing consistent preference, unequal treatment, or undue partiality toward one child over their siblings, which is a specific dynamic within a family rather than a broad, defining style of excessive *care and control* over a single child. The negative consequences of favouritism primarily manifest in the sibling relationships—namely intense rivalry, resentment, and hostility among the children—and emotional distress in the unfavored child. While the unfavored child may develop low self-worth, the term does not encapsulate the specific mechanism of *excessive control* applied to *the child* (singular) that then creates a dependency and lack of self-confidence.