Parents who were described as more ____ had children who were more competent and mature than children raised by permissive or indifferent parents.

A) authoritarian
B) authoritative
C) democratic
D) autocratic

This question is referring to Baumrind's parenting styles, in which authoritative parents are described as having high levels of demandingness (setting clear rules and expectations) and high levels of responsiveness (being warm and supportive). Children raised by authoritative parents tend to be more competent and mature compared to children raised by permissive (low demandingness, high responsiveness) or indifferent (low demandingness, low responsiveness) parents. Therefore, the best choice is authoritative (B).