ABSTRACT
In this study, we analyzed the relationship between parental child-rearing style and child intellectual development in the Romanian and Gypsy cultures. We also performed qualitative analyses on the intelligence data of Gypsy children because they provided unique culturally-specific answers and behaviors during testing sessions. Two samples of 50 Gypsy families and 50 Romanian families (parents and 9–10-year old children) were investigated with Wechsler’s Intelligence Scales. All parents completed Varga’s questionnaire on parental educative attitudes. There was no relationship between these attitudes and children’s IQ for either Romanian mothers or fathers or for Gypsy mothers. For Gypsy fathers, “Symbiosis is related to firstborn daughters IQ and “Authoritarianism” is related to both first- and second-born IQ. A comparison between Gypsies and Romanians shows they have different IQ profiles. The non-verbal IQ score of Gypsy children and parents is significantly lower than the verbal IQ score, whereas the reverse pattern occurs in the Romanian sample. The specific intellectual profile and characteristics such as verbal poverty, lack of common elementary knowledge are comparable to “abandoned children” rather than persons identified as mentally retarded. From this perspective, we discuss the implications for educating Gypsy children and families.
