Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Paper Series,
Research Institute of Industrial Economics

No 1551: How Parenting Styles Shape Children’s Lifetime Outcomes

Thomas Dohmen (), Bart Golsteyn (), Hans Grönqvist (), Edvin Hertegård () and Gerard Pfann ()
Additional contact information
Thomas Dohmen: University of Bonn and Maastricht University, Postal: Grevgatan 34, Box 55665
Bart Golsteyn: Maastricht University, Postal: Grevgatan 34, Box 55665
Hans Grönqvist: Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Postal: Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Box 55665, SE-102 15 Stockholm, Sweden
Edvin Hertegård: SOFI, Stockholm University, Postal: Grevgatan 34, Box 55665
Gerard Pfann: Maastricht University and University of Amsterdam, Postal: Grevgatan 34, Box 55665

Abstract: This study examines how parenting styles predict children’s lifetime outcomes. Using a Swedish dataset which combines rich survey information on parenting styles with administrative records tracking children over five decades, we find that authoritarian parenting is negatively associated with children’s long-term success, especially regarding their educational attainment. The results for other parenting styles are more mixed. Authoritarian parenting remains a robust predictor of adverse outcomes even when accounting for ability and family background. We identify children’s knowledge accumulation and parental educational expectations as key mechanisms explaining these results.

Keywords: Child Rearing; Human Capital; Skill Formation

JEL-codes: I24; J13; J24; R20

Language: English

34 pages, January 21, 2026

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