Positive Illusions in Parenting: Systematic Review

Öz

Positive illusions in parenting refer to the tendency of parents to hold overly favorable beliefs about their children’s abilities, intelligence, character, or achievements, often diverging from objective reality. These illusions, encompassing superiority illusion, positive bias, optimism bias, illusion of control, overvaluation, and self-reflection, serve as psychological mechanisms that enhance parental well-being, self-efficacy, and motivation while fostering supportive parenting behaviors. However, they also pose risks, including unrealistic expectations, neglect of children’s developmental needs, and the potential for fostering narcissistic traits or distorted self-concepts in children. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 25 studies (1988–2024) identified through Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Wiley Library, exploring the effects of positive illusions on parenting attitudes, behaviors, and parent-child interactions. The results indicate that while positive illusions can bolster parenting satisfaction and emotional resilience, excessive or unbalanced illusions may lead to detrimental outcomes, such as overlooking children’s shortcomings, fostering performance anxiety, or hindering autonomy development. Notably, parents with higher socioeconomic status and education levels exhibit stronger positive illusions, potentially as a strategy to enhance social competitiveness. The review underscores the importance of balancing positive illusions with realistic expectations to support healthy child development and effective parenting. Recommendations include targeted education in psychological counseling and parenting programs to help parents recognize their children’s true potential while mitigating the adverse effects of cognitive distortions.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Positive illusions
• positive illlusion in parenting
• parenting

Ebeveynlikte Olumlu Yanılsamalar: Sistematik Derleme

Öz

Ebeveynlikte olumlu yanılsamalar, ebeveynlerin çocuklarının yetenekleri, zekâları, karakterleri veya başarıları hakkında nesnel gerçeklikten saparak aşırı olumlu inançlar geliştirme eğilimini ifade eder. Üstünlük yanılsaması, olumlu önyargı, iyimserlik önyargısı, kontrol yanılsaması, aşırı değer biçme ve öz-yansıtma gibi türleri kapsayan bu yanılsamalar, ebeveynlerin iyilik halini, öz-yeterlik algısını ve motivasyonunu artırırken destekleyici ebeveynlik davranışlarını teşvik eden psikolojik mekanizmalar olarak işlev görür. Ancak, gerçekçi olmayan beklentiler, çocukların gelişim ihtiyaçlarının ihmal edilmesi ve çocuklarda narsisistik özellikler veya çarpık benlik algıları oluşma riski gibi olumsuzlukları da beraberinde getirir. Bu sistematik incelemede, Google Scholar, ProQuest ve Wiley Library üzerinden belirlenen 1988-2024 yılları arasındaki 25 çalışmanın bulgularını sentezleyerek olumlu yanılsamaların ebeveynlik tutumları, davranışları ve ebeveyn-çocuk etkileşimleri üzerindeki etkilerini araştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar, olumlu yanılsamaların ebeveynlik memnuniyetini ve duygusal direnci artırabileceğini, ancak aşırı veya dengesiz yanılsamaların çocukların eksikliklerini göz ardı etme, performans kaygısı yaratma veya özerklik gelişimini engelleme gibi zararlı sonuçlara yol açabileceğini göstermektedir. Özellikle, daha yüksek sosyoekonomik statü ve eğitim seviyesine sahip ebeveynler, sosyal rekabeti artırmak için daha güçlü olumlu yanılsamalar sergilemişlerdir. Bu inceleme, sağlıklı çocuk gelişimini ve etkili ebeveynliği desteklemek için olumlu yanılsamaların gerçekçi beklentilerle dengelenmesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır. Psikolojik danışmanlık ve ebeveynlik programlarında, ebeveynlerin çocuklarının gerçek potansiyelini tanırken bilişsel çarpıtmaların olumsuz etkilerini azaltmalarına yardımcı olacak hedefe yönelik eğitimler önerilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Olumlu yanılsamalar
• ebeveynlikte olumlu yanılsama
• ebeveynlik

Kaynakça

1. Alicke MD (1985) Global self-evaluation as determined by the desirability and controllability of trait adjectives. J Pers Soc Psychol, 49:1621-1630.
2. Alicke MD, Govorun O (2005) The better-than-average effect. In: The Self in Social Judgment (Eds MD Alicke DA Dunning, JI Krueger):83-106. New York, Psychology Press.
3. Brummelman E, Thomaes S, Nelemans SA, Orobio de Castro B, Bushman BJ (2013) My child is God’s gift to humanity: development and validation of the parental overvaluation scale. J Pers Soc Psychol, 103:665-676.
4. Brummelman E, Thomaes S, Orobio de Castro B, Nelemans SA, Overbeek G, Bushman BJ et al. (2015) Narcissism in children is cultivated by parental overvaluation and undermined by parental warmth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 112:3659-3662.
5. Brummelman E, Thomaes S, Orobio de Castro B, Overbeek G, Bushman BJ (2014) “That’s not just beautiful- that’s incredibly beautiful!” The adverse impact of inflated praise on children with low self-esteem. Psychol Sci, 25:728-735.
6. Bruysters NYF, Pilkington PD (2023) Overprotective parenting experiences and early maladaptive schemas in adolescence and adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Psychother, 30:10-23.
7. Carver CS, Scheier MF (2014) Dispositional optimism. Trends Cogn Sci, 18:293-299.
8. Cohen JD, Fowers BJ (2004) Blood, sweat, and tears biological ties and self-investment as sources of positive ıllusions about children and stepchildren. J Divorce Remarriage, 42:39-59.

9. Cohen JD (2001) Positive illusions: a comparison of the unrealistically positive views parents and stepparents hold of their children [Doctoral dissertation]. Miami, FL, University of Miami.
10. Coppola G, Musso P, Buonanno C, Semeraro C, Iacobellis B, Cassibba R et al. (2020) The apple of daddy’s eye: parental overvaluation links the narcissistic traits of father and child. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17:4672.
11. Correa W, Minetto MF, Cappellaro Kobren R, Kruszielski L (2019) Parental beliefs on child development of children with developmental delays. Paidéia, 29:e2928.
12. Darling, N Steinberg, L. Parenting style as context: An integrative model. Psycho Bull, 113, 487-496.
13. Eibach RP, Mock SE (2011) Idealizing parenthood to rationalize parental ınvestments. Psychol Sci, 22:203-208.
14. Epley N, Dunning D (2000) Feeling “holier than thou”: are self-serving assessments produced by errors in self- or social prediction? J Pers Soc Psychol, 79:861-875.
15. Farzand M, Cerkez Y, Baysen E (2021) Effects of self-concept on narcissism: mediational role of perceived parenting. Front Psychol, 12:674679.
16. Fowers BJ, Lyons EM, Montel KH (1996) Positive marital illusions: self-enhancement or relationship enhancement? J Fam Psychol,10:192-208.
17. Green A, MacLean R, Charles K (2020) Recollections of parenting styles in the development of narcissism: the role of gender. Pers Individ Dif, 167:110246.
18. Hanley T, Cutts L (2013) What is a systematic review? Couns Psychol Rev, 28:3-6.
19. Horton RS, Tritch T (2014) Clarifying the links between grandiose narcissism and parenting. J Psychol, 148:133-143.
20. Jeon S, Neppl TK (2016) Intergenerational continuity in economic hardship, parental positivity, and positive parenting: the association with child behavior. J Fam Psychol, 30:22-32.
21. Karadeniz G (2024) Unrealistic parental optimism. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, 16:723-730.
22. Kart ME (2004) Pozitif yanılsama ve psikolojik sağlık. Ankara Üniversitesi SBF Dergisi, 59:1.
23. Kaya İ (2010) Anne-babaların akılcı olmayan inançları ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi: psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi (Yüksek lisansa tezi) . Gaziantep, Gazinatep Üniversitesi.
24. Krauss S, Orth U, Robins RW (2020) Family environment and self esteem development: a longitudinal study from age 10 to 16. J Pers Soc Psychol, 119:457-478.
25. Langer EJ (1975) The illusion of control. J Pers Soc Psychol, 32:311-328.
26. Lareau A (2003) Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. Los Angeles; CA, University of California Press.
27. Lee MA, Schoppe-Sullivan SJ, Kamp Dush CM (2012) Parenting perfectionism and parental adjustment. Pers Individ Dif, 52:454-457.
28. Lin GX, Szczygieł D (2022) Perfectionistic parents are burnt out by hiding emotions from their children but this effect is attenuated by emotional intelligence. Pers Individ Dif, 184:111187.
29. Lukavská K, Vacek J, Gabrhelík R (2020) The effects of parental control and warmth on problematic internet use in adolescents: a prospective cohort study. J Behav Addict, 9:664-675.
30. Mazur E (2006) Biased appraisals of parenting daily hassles among mothers of young children: predictors of parenting adjustment. Cogn Ther Res, 30:161-175.
31. Mezulis A, Simonson J, McCauley E, Stoep AV (2011) The association between temperament and depressive symptoms in adolescence: brooding and reflection as potential mediators. Cogn Emot, 25:1460-1470.
32. Mezulis AH, Abramson LY, Hyde JS, Hankin BL (2004) Is there a universal positivity bias in attributions? a meta-analytic review of individual, developmental, and cultural differences in self-serving attributional bias. Psychol Bull, 130:711-747.
33. O’Brien SF, Bierman KL (1988) Conceptions and perceived influence of peer groups: interviews with preadolescents and adolescents. Child Dev, 59:1360-1365.
34. Paczkowski E, Baker BL (2008) Parenting children with developmental delays: the role of positive beliefs. J Ment Health Res Intellect Disabil, 1:156-175.
35. Peterson C, Seligman MEP, Vaillant GE (2000) Healthiest Minds: A Decade of Positive Psychology Research. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association.
36. Roger PR (2006) Parents' hope, optimism, and positive illusions and the resilience of their children adopted from Russia [doctoral dissertation]. Fordham University.
37. Rosenthal R, Jacobson L (1968) Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectations and Pupils’ Intellectual Development. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
38. Rowell, SF, Jaswal VK (2021) I remember being nice: self-enhancement memory bias in middle childhood. Memory, 29:261-269.
39. Sedikides C, Gregg AP (2008) Self-enhancement: food for thought. Perspect Psychol Sci, 3:102-116.
40. Seligman MEP (1990) Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York, Simon and Schuster.
41. Sharot T (2011) The optimism bias. Curr Biol, 21:844-946.
42. Smetana JG (2011) Adolescents' social reasoning and relationships with parents: conflicts and coordinations within and across domains. In Adolescent Vulnerabilities and Opportunities: Constructivist and Developmental Perspectives (Eds E Amsel, JG Smetana JG):139-158. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
43. Smith M (2010) Good parenting: making a difference. Early Hum Dev, 86:689-693.
44. Tasimi A, Johnson MK (2015) A self-serving bias in children's memories? J Exp Psychol Gen, 144:528-533.
45. Taylor SE, Brown JD (1988) Illusion and well-being: a social psychological perspective on mental health. Psychol Bull, 103:193-210.
46. Taylor SE, Brown JD (1994) Positive illusions and well-being revisited: separating fact from fiction. Psychol Bull, 116:21-27.
47. Taylor SE, Gollwitzer PM (1995) Effects of mindset on positive illusions. J Pers Soc Psychol, 69:213-226.
48. Weinstein ND (1980) Unrealistic optimism about future life events. J Pers Soc Psychol, 39:806-820.
49. Wenger A (1998) Positive illusions: an examination of the unrealistically positive views parents hold of their children and of the parenting experience [doctoral dissertation]. University of Miami.
50. Wenger A, Fowers BJ (2008) Positive illusions in parenting: every child is above average. J Appl Soc Psychol, 38:611-634.
51. Wright C, Heron J, Campbell R, Hickman M, Kipping RR (2020) Adolescent multiple risk behaviours cluster by number of risks rather than distinct risk profiles in the alspac cohort. BMC Public Health, 20:290.