Authoritative parenting among immigrant Chinese mothers of preschoolers.
The goals of this study were: (a) to examine authoritative parenting style among Chinese immigrant mothers of young children, (b) to test the mediational mechanism between authoritative parenting style and children's outcomes; and (c) to evaluate 3 predictors of authoritative parenting style (psychological well-being, perceived support in the parenting role, parenting stress). Participants included 85 Chinese immigrant mothers and their preschool children. Mothers reported on their parenting style, psychological well-being, perceived parenting support and stress, and children's hyperactivity/attention. Teacher ratings of child adjustment were also obtained. Results revealed that Chinese immigrant mothers of preschoolers strongly endorsed the authoritative parenting style. Moreover, authoritative parenting predicted increased children's behavioral/attention regulation abilities (lower hyperactivity/inattention), which then predicted decreased teacher rated child difficulties. Finally, mothers with greater psychological well-being or parenting support engaged in more authoritative parenting, but only under conditions of low parenting stress. Neither well-being nor parenting support predicted authoritative parenting when parenting hassles were high. Findings were discussed in light of cultural- and immigration-related issues facing immigrant Chinese mothers of young children.
Cheah
Charissa S L
CS
Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. ccheah@umbc.edu
Leung
Christy Y Y
CY
Tahseen
Madiha
M
Schultz
David
D
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001318:Authoritarianism; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States