Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1989

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Brain K. Barber

Committee Members

Vey Nordquist, Cheryl Buehler

Abstract

This cross-cultural study tests cultural variation in the relationship of parental behaviors to adolescent self-esteem through secondary analysis of a data set from Brazilian and U. S. adolescents (Ferreria & Thomas, 1984). The sample for this study consists of 393 (mean age = 16.66, SD = 1.03) mostly middle class, urban high school students (females, n = 190; males, n= 203), from two Catholic high schools in the United States (N = 194) and Brazil (N = 199). Cross-cultural comparability was assured by using the same procedure in each country, i.e., gaining comparable response rates from similar subjects, using back translation of the instrument, and having one person in each country administer the appropriate Portuguese or English version to groups of 20 or less. The instrument consisted of 10 background, 75 parental behavior items selected from three standard instruments (Heilbrun, 1964; Devereaux, et al., 1969; Schaefer, 1965), and 21 items measuring self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965; Openshaw, et al, 1981).

This study tested models of adolescent socialization in the family context in both cultures in two specific ways: (1) identified four dimensions of self-esteem by varimax rotated factor analysis of the combined self-esteem scales (Social Worth and Self-Derogation from Rosenberg, Positive Self-esteem and Self-Esteem Power from the Semantic Differential scale), and, (2) tested the relationships of these four dimensions of self-esteem with seven reliable parental behavior scales employing regression analysis cross-culturally. Eight specific parental behaviors were identified through factor analysis from the combined parental behavior scales (General Support, Companionship, Physical Affection a parental support; Induction, Coercion, Love Withdrawal Inconsistent Control and Autonomy Granting as parental control variables), but Autonomy Granting was found to be unreliable and dropped from analysis.

The factor structure of the measurements of the dependent and independent variables in each culture was found to be very similar, supporting the notion that both parental behaviors and adolescent self-evaluation are similar across cultures. Our hypotheses of significant influence between adolescent perceptions of parental behaviors (Induction, Coercion, Physical Affection, Companionship) and adolescent Self-Derogation and Social Worth were not supported. General support from both parents in the U.S., and fathers in Brazil, was found to be influential with adolescent Self-Derogation and Social Worth. Significant cultural differences were found only in the influence of mothers' Companionship on sons' Self-Derogation, and mothers' Love Withdrawal on Daughters' Self-Derogation. Hypothesized cultural differences in father influence was not supported. Overall, more similarities than differences were noted. Parental behaviors were found to be more important in U.S., parental support was found to be more important than control in both cultures, especially for fathers in Brazil. Mother control was found to be more important than father control in both cultures.

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