Integration of Theory and Practice among Different Areas of Psychology: Testing in Classroom Practices a Theoretical Model of Parenting*

This work presents an innovative education project, developed at the University of Valencia, for the integration of theory and practice among two different broad areas of Psychology (Social Psychology and Methodology). Psychology graduate students will be split up into small research groups (2-4 members). Each research group will collect a small sample data in order to: (1) establish the relationships between parenting styles (using a two-dimension four-typology model of parenting styles) and parenting practices, and (2), establish the relationships between parenting styles and adolescents' outcomes. Parenting practices will measure with the ESPA29 Parental Socialization Scale (Musitu & Garcia, 2001 [1]), the Parenting Scales of Steinberg (Lamborn et al., 1991 [2]; Steinberg et al., 1994 [3]), the Psychological Control Scale (Barber, 1996 [4]), and the Short-EMBU scales (Arrindell et al., 1999 [5]). The outcome measures will be six indicators of psychological adjustment measured with the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (Rohner, 1990 [6]), five indicators of self-esteem measured with the AF5 Multidimensional Self-Esteem Scale (García & Musitu, 1999 [7]), and three indicators of personal competence and another three of problem behaviors (García & Gracia, in press [8]). The research design of the project involved four steps where each research group will complete a closed questionnaire about the same research hypothesis.