Cultural Bias in Parent Reports: The Role of Socialization Goals When Parents Report on Their Child's Problem Behavior

It has been called into question whether widely used screening instruments for child mental health can provide comparable results across countries and cultures. Socialization goals can influence whether and to what extent a parent considers a behavior to be problematic and thus might influence parental reports on their child's behavior. We tested comparability of parental reports between native German (N = 116) and Turkish origin (N = 77) parents in Germany in an online study using a vignette approach. Parents were asked to rate the perceived problem severity of the same behavior depicted in the vignettes. We expected and found that parents of Turkish origin in Germany rate the externalizing problem behaviour depicted in the vignettes as more problematic compared to native German parents. The effect was fully mediated by parental approval of the socialization goals obedience and collectivism. We also controlled for social desirability responding and an extreme response style.

Measuring child-rearing goals for parents with young children: A scoping review

This scoping review summarizes and consolidates the parenting goals for young children captured in existing parent-report measures, and the characteristics of studies that employed them. Five electronic databases were systematically searched to identify original studies that used a self-report measure for parenting goals during the child's first 5 years. Characteristics of the parenting goals measures and the studies that employed them were extracted and synthesized. A deductive approach was used to reduce the parenting goals items across instruments into representative domains. Fourteen original parenting goals measures and their modifications (i.e., 24 unique measures in total) were identified in 44 research articles from 41 original studies. Items from these measures were synthesized into 33 representative domains. Findings will inform the direction of future research and the development of a comprehensive measure of parenting goals for parents with young children that can be applied across cultures, economic backgrounds, informants, and parenting contexts.

You Mean the World to Me: The Role of Residential Mobility in Centrality of Romantic Relationships

Integrating the suffocation model of marriage with research on residential mobility, the current studies examined for the first time whether long-term romantic relationships are more central for residentially mobile (vs. stable) individuals (total N across three studies = 5,366; age range = 18–95). In Study 1, individuals who moved away from their place of birth (vs. not) were more likely to first confide in their spouse over other network members on important matters. In Study 2, history of frequent residential moves was associated with greater importance ascribed to romantic partners in the attachment hierarchy. In Study 3, the slope of perceived partner responsiveness predicting eudaimonic well-being got steeper as residential mobility increased. By showing the role of residential mobility in romantic relationships, our findings highlight the importance of studying socioecological factors to gain a deeper understanding of how relationship processes unfold.

Family Factors Related to Three Major Mental Health Issues Among Asian-Americans Nationwide

Asian-Americans (AAs) constitute the fastest growing minority group in the USA. AAs share a common emphasis on collective cultural strengths, especially family values. Using the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) data, this study investigated the roles of family cohesiveness, along with other cultural strength factors and negative family interactions in three psychiatric disorders. Supporting the study's hypotheses, multivariate analyses showed that family cohesiveness was associated with a lower incidence of general anxiety disorder (GAD), while regular religious attendance was linked with a lower likelihood of having substance use disorder (SUD). Conversely, negative family interactions increased the likelihood of experiencing major depression disorder (MDD) and SUD. Whereas perceived discrimination was related to higher odds of all diagnoses, family cohesiveness moderated the relationship between discrimination and GAD. These findings suggest that family relationships play a critical role in AAs' mental health and should be further explored through a prospective design.

Child temperament predicts maternal socialization values

The longitudinal study examined whether and how children's temperament traits in particular but also their age, sex as well as maternal education and age predict maternal socialization values. The sample was drawn from the IDEFICS study and included 567 mothers from Estonia whose children were 2-9 years old at Time 0 and 4-11 years old at Time 1. The findings showed that children's temperament at Time 0 predicted maternal socialization values at Time 1, but not vice versa. Mothers who perceived their child to be more imaginative at Time 0 considered self-maximization socialization values more important and social conformity-related values less important at Time 1. Child's conscientiousness and extraversion were linked positively to social conformity-related socialization values. Older mothers and those with higher level of education put more emphasis on self-maximization socialization values. Children's age and sex were not related to socialization values.

The association between recalled parental rearing behavior and depressiveness: a comparison between 1st immigrants and non-immigrants in the population-based Gutenberg Health Study

BACKGROUND

Studies in immigrant youth have suggested differences in parenting patterns by immigration status. Knowledge of variation in recalled parenting pattern and its distinctive impact on mental health in adult immigrants, however, is limited. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate similarities and differences in recalled maternal and paternal rearing behavior and its association with depressiveness in adult 1st generation immigrants compared to non-immigrants.

METHODS

Seven hundred and forty-three 1st generation immigrants (M = 57.4, SD = 10.1 years) and 6518 non-immigrants (M = 60.3, SD = 10.7 years) participated in a population-based study. Regarding countries of origin, the largest subgroups were immigrants from Eastern-Europe, Former-SU, and Arabic-Islamic countries. All participants completed the ultra-short version of The Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior-questionnaire and the PHQ-9 assessing depressiveness. Multiple linear regressions with depressiveness as outcome variable were analyzed separately for each facet of parental rearing behavior adjusting for socio-demographic and migration-related variables.

RESULTS

In addition to differences in depressiveness and socioeconomic status, 1st generation immigrants recalled both their mothers and fathers as more controlling and overprotecting than non-immigrants. Parental emotional warmth was negatively associated with depressiveness across all groups. The relationship between parental control, respectively parental rejection and depressiveness, however, varied in direction and severity between the groups.

CONCLUSION

The results support the notion that parental warmth is a universal protective factor against depressiveness, whereas the impact of parental control on mental health might be more culturally influenced. Analyses point to the importance of considering the unique contribution of fathers' rearing behavior on mental health, particularly in immigrant samples.

The Long-Term Socialization Goals of Chinese and Korean Immigrant Mothers in the United States

OBJECTIVES

The socialization goals of immigrant parents in the United States for their children reflect the childrearing priorities of both their culture of origin and the mainstream culture. These goals, which guide parenting, likely have shared and unique characteristics with other immigrant groups from the same geographical region of origin. The current study aimed to explore and compare the socialization goals of Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers in the United States; the role of child gender in mothers' socialization goals was also investigated.

METHODS

Ninety-six Chinese (M _age = 37.60) and 97 Korean immigrant mothers (M _age = 35.87) with preschool-age children living in the United States were interviewed regarding their socialization goals. The qualitative interview transcripts were coded by trained research assistants.

RESULTS

The interviews revealed seven socialization goals (Self-maximization, Lovingness,Personal Integrity, Proper Demeanor, Religious Values, Self-control, and No High Expectations) across both groups. Findings demonstrated that Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers were similar on their endorsement of five socialization goals. However, group differences were found for goals of Religious Values and No High Expectations, which further differed across child gender.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlighted the common socialization priorities of Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers of young children in urban contexts, but also the need to examine sub -ethnic groups separately to understand their shared and unique parenting experiences. These findings have meaningful implications for clinicians and other professionals towards providing more effective services to Asian immigrant families in the U.S.

Measuring children's emotional and behavioural problems: are SDQ parent reports from native and immigrant parents comparable?

BACKGROUND

The number of immigrants worldwide is growing and migration might be a risk factor for the mental health of children. A reliable instrument is needed to measure immigrants' childrens mental health. The aim of the study was to test the measurement invariance of the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) between German native, Turkish origin and Russian origin immigrant parents in Germany. The SDQ is one of the most frequently used screening instruments for mental health disorders in children.

METHODS

Differential Item Functioning (DIF) was tested in samples matched by socio-economic status, age and gender of the child. A logistic regression/item response theory hybrid method and a multiple indicators- multiple causes model (MIMIC) was used to test for DIF. Multi Group Confirmatory Factor analysis (MGCFA) was used to test for configural invariance. Parent reports of 10610 German native, 534 Russian origin and 668 Turkish origin parents of children aged 3-17 years were analysed.

RESULTS

DIF items were found in both groups and with both methods. We did not find an adequate fit of the original five factor model of the SDQ for the Turkish origin group, but for the Russian origin group. An analysis of functional equivalence indicated that the SDQ is equally useful for the screening of mental health disorders in all three groups.

CONCLUSION

Using the SDQ in order to compare the parent reports of native and immigrant parents should be done cautiously. Thus, the use of the SDQ in epidemiological studies and for prevention planning is questionable. However, the SDQ turns out to be a valid instrument for screening purposes in parents of native and immigrant children.

Child development at the intersection of race and SES: An overview

Racial/ethnic disparities in socioeconomic status (SES) persist in the United States. These disparities perpetuate the intergenerational transmission of inequality. Although families of color vary significantly in socioeconomic standing and evidence suggests the links between SES and child development may differ by race/ethnicity, we know relatively little about how race and SES interact to shape children's social contexts and developmental outcomes. This chapter draws theoretical insights from sociocultural perspectives on development and intersectionality theory to understand how and why family life and child development may play out in complex ways at the nexus of race and SES.

Family Acculturation in Host and Immigrant Couples: Dyadic Research in an Italian Context

The purpose of this research is to study acculturation strategies and attitudes in central and peripheral domains of host and immigrant couples in an Italian context. The participants were 60 dyads (30 host couples and 30 immigrant couples) who completed a questionnaire based on the Relative Acculturation Extended Model (RAEM). Based on the analysis, we found that the general acculturation attitude preferred by immigrant couples is integration, and Italian couples prefer that immigrants adopt it. Furthermore, Italian partners show moderate internal agreement, whereas immigrant couples show a high degree of agreement. In both groups, the level of agreement between dyadic members is only partially determined by their membership within a social group. The socio-cultural context has a significant role in the internal similarity of Italian couples. In contrast, there is dyadic agreement within immigrant couples.

Maternal socialization goals and the spontaneous prosocial behavior of children in rural contexts

The purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to investigate possible associations between maternal socialization goals and prosocial behavior (spontaneous helping) among children living in a rural context. This study involved 39 dyads of mothers, aged 17 to 48 years (M = 24.28 years, SD = 5.97), and their children, with a mean age of 24 months. The data collection included a Sociocultural Sociodemographic Characterization Questionnaire (SSCQ), a Socialization Goals Questionnaire (SGQ), and a Spontaneous Prosocial Behavior Task (SPBT). Most importantly, we found that the maternal socialization goal to "Learning to support others" exhibited a significant correlation (r = 0.40, p < 0.05) with the helping task performed by the children. This finding sustains the hypothesis that maternal goals, which emphasize the importance of their children in learning to help others, are correlated with an increased frequency of prosocial behavior in young children, around their second birthday.

Values in families with young children: Insights from two cultural milieus in Germany

Are children's value priorities different from their parents' generation? We present data from the youngest children's sample that has been included in a comprehensive family study of values so far: Our study is based on self-reported values of 127 six- to eleven-year-old German children (M = 7.89, SD = 1.35) and their mothers and fathers. We further took into account two potentially interacting developmental variables that have been suggested in the literature: (a) family members' gender and (b) cultural milieu (we looked specifically at families with Turkish immigration background and families without immigration background). While values of self-transcendence, self-enhancement and openness to change did not differ significantly between the two generations, children found conservation significantly more important than their parents. This contrasts with findings from previous studies with older participants. We discuss to what extent this effect may be unique to this developmental stage of middle childhood that had not been covered by previous research. Females valued conservation more than males, and conservation was more important in families with as compared to families without Turkish immigration background. There was neither a gender × generation nor a cultural milieu × generation interaction.

Helping Parents With Chores or Going Out With Friends: Cultural Differences in Adolescents’ Responses to Potentially Conflicting Expectations of Parents and Peers

The study examined cultural similarities and differences in how adolescents deal with conflicting expectations of parents and peers. It was tested to what extent adolescents’ interdependence values and satisfaction with family and friendships predict the way they would solve the disagreement, where they had planned to go out with friends, but their parents wanted them to stay at home to do chores. Moreover, adolescents’ reasons for their reported actions were examined. The sample included 894 Estonian, German, and Russian adolescents ( M age around 15 years). Russian adolescents were more likely than their Estonian and German peers to comply with parents’ requests. This was possibly due to interdependence values being more important for them. Satisfaction with family relationships and friendships was not linked to adolescents’ compliance. Adolescents from all cultures were similar in terms of suggesting self-oriented reasons for noncompliance, while Estonian and German adolescents expressed their need for autonomy more explicitly. Russian adolescents were, however, more oriented to maintaining good relationships with parents and friends, respectively, in their reasons for compliance and noncompliance. They were also less likely to suggest compromise.

In Search of “the Bedouin Adaptive Adult”

The Bedouins of the Negev are a unique minority group living in southern Israel. They are known to be a formerly nomadic society characterized by tribal collectivism. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of the broad context in which parenting and child development take place in Bedouin society by exploring the images Bedouin parents have of the adults they wish their children to become (the adaptive adult). We explored the images of the adaptive adult as expressed by parents’ ratings of individualistic and collectivistic socialization goals (SGs), while also examining the eco-cultural factors that may be related to these images. Specifically, we examined the relations between SG preferences and parental acculturation attitude, parental education, and child gender. Participants included 65 Bedouin mothers and 30 Bedouin fathers. Parents completed the Acculturation Questionnaire and the Socialization Goals Rating Task. Results indicated that mothers who had higher education and those who had higher levels of contact and participation in Israeli Jewish culture preferred more individualistic SGs over collectivistic SGs for their children. Furthermore, acculturation level was a stronger predictor of maternal SGs than level of education. Contrary to mothers, fathers’ SG preferences were found to be related only to their level of education and not to their acculturation levels. Finally, both mothers and fathers preferred individualistic SGs for their sons and collectivistic SGs for their daughters. The links between SG preferences and the factors of parental acculturation, parental education, and child gender are discussed, and implications are proposed.

Emotion Socialization Practices in Latina and European American Mothers of Preschoolers with Behavior Problems

The present study examined mothers' emotion socialization of 3-year-old children with behavior problems, to determine whether emotion socialization practices, as well as the relation between these practices and child functioning, varied across ethnicities. Participants were 134 preschoolers with behavior problems. Mothers were European American (n = 96) and Latina American (n = 38; predominately Puerto Rican). Audiotaped mother-child interactions were coded for emotion socialization behaviors. Latina and European American mothers used similar emotion socialization practices on most dimensions. Latina mothers were more likely to minimize or not respond to their children's negative affect. However, this difference did not appear to have ramifications for children. This study provided evidence for both differences and similarities across ethnicities on emotion socialization practices.

Mother–Child Relations in Adulthood

Based on the Model of Family Change, the authors examined how mother–child relations among non-Western immigrants and natives were characterized by patterns of solidarity. Latent Class Analysis was applied to data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (2004) on the practical and emotional support that Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese, and Antillean adult children gave and received from their mother ( N = 1,267). A similar five-class typology in all origin groups revealed three types of full-interdependence (“reciprocal,” “upward,” and “downward”), emotional-interdependent, and independent mother–child relationship. Whereas full-interdependence prevailed among immigrants, Dutch were more characterized by downward-interdependence and emotional-interdependence. Irrespective of the child’s origin, independent relationships were uncommon. The results evidence the importance of emotional intergenerational ties in adulthood across families of different origins.

Exploring the relevance of autonomy and relatedness for mental health in healthy and depressed women from two different cultures: when does culture matter?

BACKGROUND

It is well known that the absence of both autonomy and social support (relatedness) are two important etiologic pathways to major depressive disorder (MDD). However, cross-cultural researchers state that the implications of autonomy and relatedness for mental health vary across cultures.

AIM

To test these assumptions, the current study investigated the relevance of autonomy and relatedness for mental health in healthy and depressed women from two different cultures (Germans and Turkish immigrants in Germany).

METHODS

One hundred and eight (108) women were evaluated for their levels of autonomy/relatedness satisfaction, for overall psychopathological complaints including depression, for affectivity and for perceived loneliness through self-report measures.

RESULTS

Among healthy groups, relatedness satisfaction predicted better mental health in Turkish women, whereas in German women, autonomy satisfaction was the better mental health predictor. Within depressed groups however, cultural differences in mental health outcomes regarding autonomy were no longer evident. Autonomy was associated with higher levels of mental health in Turkish as well as in German patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that the relationship between autonomy and mental health is culture-specific in healthy women, but disappears in depressed women. These findings are discussed with consideration of clinical implications and an outlook regarding further research.

Similarities and Differences in Implicit Personality Concepts across Ethnocultural Groups in South Africa

Using a combined emic–etic approach, the present study investigates similarities and differences in the indigenous personality concepts of ethnocultural groups in South Africa. Semistructured interviews asking for self- and other-descriptions were conducted with 1,027 Blacks, 58 Indians, and 105 Whites, speakers of the country’s 11 official languages. A model with 9 broad personality clusters subsuming the Big Five—Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Facilitating, Integrity, Intellect, Openness, Relationship Harmony, and Soft-Heartedness (Nel et al., 2012)—was examined. The 9 clusters were found in all groups, yet the groups differed in their use of the model’s components: Blacks referred more to social-relational descriptions, specific trait manifestations, and social norms, whereas Whites referred more to personal-growth descriptions and abstract concepts, and Indians had an intermediate pattern. The results suggest that a broad spectrum of personality concepts should be included in the development of common personality models and measurement tools for diverse cultural groups.

Intersubjective model of value transmission: parents using perceived norms as reference when socializing children

What values do parents want to transmit to children? The intersubjective model of value transmission posits that parents want to transmit not only the values they personally endorse but also the values they perceive to be normatively important in the society. The present research shows support to this premise. Furthermore, Studies 1 and 2 revealed that the use of perceived norms is moderated by families' social contexts and parents' personality: It was particularly pronounced among parents who were immigrants, who had a stronger need for closure, and who were more conforming. In addition, Studies 3 and 4 demonstrated that parents' perceived norms can explain actual value transmission: Values parents perceived to be normatively important were to some extent internalized by children. The intersubjective model paves some new directions for value transmission research, contributes to the understanding of cultural transmission and cultural change, and extends the intersubjective approach to culture.

Contextualizing acculturation: gender, family, and community reception influences on Asian immigrant mental health

This article investigates differences in the mental health among male and female immigrants from an ecological perspective, testing the influences of both individual acculturation domains and social contexts. Data from the first nationally representative psychiatric survey of immigrant Asians in the US is used (N = 1,583). These data demonstrate the importance of understanding acculturation domains (e.g., individual differences in English proficiency, ethnic identity, and time in the US), within the social contexts of family, community, and neighborhood. Results demonstrate that among immigrant Asian women, the association between family conflict and mental health problems is stronger for those with higher ethnic identity; among immigrant Asian men, community reception (e.g., everyday discrimination) was more highly associated with increases in mental health symptoms among those with poor English fluency. Findings suggest that both individual domains of acculturation and social context measures contribute to immigrant mental health, and that it is important to consider these relationships within the context of gender.

Socialization Values in Stable and Changing Societies

Although socialization values have been consistently linked to sociocultural context, little is known about the question of to what extent societal change is reflected in socialization values. The present study’s aim was to address this research gap by comparing the short-term and long-term socialization values of mothers of adolescents from two different cultural groups (142 ethnic Estonian and 65 Russian-speaking mothers) living in a country of transition—Estonia—to those of 150 Swedish mothers residing in the relatively stable Sweden. The Child-Rearing Value Questionnaire consisted of two different tasks: (a) open-ended questions and (b) item ranking task. Answers to open-ended questions about valuable characteristics in the child in the present, in adulthood, and the mothers’ own characteristics they would like to pass to their children showed that the Swedish mothers’ short-term and long-term socialization values did not differ. The answers of Estonian and Russian Estonian mothers, in turn, appeared to reflect socialization value change in Estonia toward less emphasis on traditional values: The Estonian mothers mentioned conformity values and Russian Estonian mothers hard work less frequently when describing children in adulthood than when describing themselves. Both Estonian and Russian Estonian mothers stressed achievement when describing children in adulthood, whereas achievement and hard work were mentioned less frequently when describing children in the present. In the item-choosing task, the Swedish mothers were more likely than mothers living in Estonia to choose “belief in his/her abilities” among the three most important characteristics.