CHILD‐REARING ATTITUDES OF CHINESE, CHINESE‐AMERICAN, AND ANGLO‐AMERICAN MOTHERS

Abstract

Three groups of mothers with different cultural backgrounds, 397 Chinese living in Taiwan, 95 Chinese‐Americans immigrated from Taiwan, and 213 Anglo‐Americans, were administered the Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI). Significant differences were found on all three attitudinal factors and on all 23 attitudinal scales. The results showed that (1) the Chinese mothers were most restrictive, the Anglo‐American mothers were least restrictive, and the Chinese‐American mothers were intermediate on the continuum of authoritarian‐control; (2) the Chinese‐American mothers were more likely to approve the expression of hostility or rejection than the Chinese or Anglo‐American mothers; (3) the Chinese‐American mothers were more democratic than the Chinese mothers, and the Chinese mothers, more democratic than the Anglo‐American mothers.