The association of maternal socialization in childhood and adolescence with adult offsprings' sympathy/caring.
The purpose of the study was to examine associations between mothers' socialization practices in childhood and adolescence and offsprings' (N = 32, 16 female) sympathy/concern in early adulthood. Mothers reported on their socialization practices and beliefs a total of 6 times using a Q-sort during their offsprings' childhood (between 7-8 and 11-12 years of age) and adolescence (between 13-14 and 17-18 years of age). Adult offsprings' sympathy/caring was assessed 3 times in early adulthood (at ages 19-20 to 23-24 years) and in their mid-20s to 30s (ages 25-26 to 31-32 years). In general, friends' reports of participants' sympathy/concern at ages 25-32 years related positively to mother-reported rational discipline (including inductions) and warmth and support during childhood and adolescence and negatively to mother-reported negative affect during adolescence. Self-reported sympathy/concern during early adulthood was positively related to maternal warmth and support during childhood and almost significantly negatively related to mother-reported negative affect during childhood and adolescence. Most of the relations held when the prior level of self-reported childhood empathy or adolescent sympathy was controlled.
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
Nancy
N
Eisenberg
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
Sarah K
SK
VanSchyndel
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University.
Claire
C
Hofer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology; D010553:Personality Development; D011779:Q-Sort; D057566:Self Report; D012951:Socialization; D055815:Young Adult