THE IMPACT OF PARENTING STYLES ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE IN CHILDREN AGED 3–6: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RESEARCH FROM 2016 TO 2026

Abstract

Young children's academic achievement, mental health and social adaptation are critically dependent on social-emotional competence (SEC). This systematic review aimed to gather 32 empirical studies that were published from 2016 to 2026 to better understand the impact of parenting on children's SEC (3–6 years of age). The field has shifted away from general parenting-style typologies to the specific parenting practices and, in the case of the evidence base, emotion socialization and parent–child interaction are the main pathways of parenting. Self-regulation and executive function are important mediators, while moderate socioeconomic status, culture, parental mental health, and child characteristics moderate these associations. Building on this, we suggest a multi-pathway context-sensitive framework, suggesting that the impact of parenting on SEC is not a universal parenting style, but is dependent upon contexts.