A growing body of research suggests that authoritative, nurturing parenting has a host of positive effects on children. Some researchers believe that this nurturing style makes a child more receptive to parental influence. They say a combination of support and control can help a child learn to control himself. Parent-child communication seems to be better in these relationships, too. Temple psychologist Laurence Steinberg has found that both younger children and teenagers raised in authoritative homes show advantages in psychosocial development and mental health.