Socialization values of mothers and fathers: Does the child's age matter?

Abstract

The study compared socialization values held by mothers and fathers of children from two age groups: middle childhood and late adolescence. 410 mothers and 269 fathers of children in middle childhood as well as 603 mothers and 406 fathers of late adolescents were given a list of qualities that children might be encouraged to learn at home, and asked to mark five that they consider the most important. The study found that the child's age is a factor that had a strong impact on parental socialization values. The values held by a mother and father from the same family reveal more similarities than expected by chance. Study findings supported the view that the educational level of parents (with vs. without university degree) is a factor strongly related to the extent to which they attach importance to self-direction versus traditional conformity-related values.