Parenting and perceived maternal warmth in European American and African American adolescents

Abstract

Traditional conceptualizations of parenting style assume certain associations between parenting practices/philosophies and parental warmth. This study examines whether those links are similar for European American and African American adolescents. Two hundred and ninety-eight early adolescents and their mothers reported on discipline and control practices, decision-making practices, and parenting philosophy, which were used to predict adolescents' reports of maternal warmth. The moderating role of ethnicity was examined after controlling for gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Although some practices predicted warmth similarly across groups, several practices predicted warmth in ways consistent with parenting style theory only or more strongly among European American adolescents. The findings suggest differences in the interpretation of or context surrounding discipline- and autonomy-related practices in these groups. © National Council on Family Relations, 2008.