TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing the cross-cultural validity of a parental autonomy granting measure
T2 - Comparing adolescents in the United States, China, Mexico, and India
AU - Supple, Andrew J.
AU - Ghazarian, Sharon R.
AU - Peterson, Gary W.
AU - Bush, Kevin R.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - This study investigates the cross-cultural validity of a 10-item parental autonomy granting measure with samples of adolescents from the United States, China, Mexico, and India. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis suggested a moderately high degree of cross-cultural equivalence, particularly for the United States and China. Invariance in item loadings was found across samples, with the exception of items assessing freedom regarding career choices and encouragement to participate in family decisions. Correlations between autonomy granting and three criterion factors suggested that, across cultures, parental autonomy granting is associated with higher perceptions of parental support and greater effort exerted in school. Correlations varied in reference to associations between parental autonomy granting and reports of love withdrawal from mothers and fathers. Results also suggested that mean levels of autonomy granting from parents were highest in the U.S. sample and lowest in China. Results provide support for the universality of autonomy granting as a salient aspect of parenting across cultures but also point to areas where significant cultural differences exist.
AB - This study investigates the cross-cultural validity of a 10-item parental autonomy granting measure with samples of adolescents from the United States, China, Mexico, and India. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis suggested a moderately high degree of cross-cultural equivalence, particularly for the United States and China. Invariance in item loadings was found across samples, with the exception of items assessing freedom regarding career choices and encouragement to participate in family decisions. Correlations between autonomy granting and three criterion factors suggested that, across cultures, parental autonomy granting is associated with higher perceptions of parental support and greater effort exerted in school. Correlations varied in reference to associations between parental autonomy granting and reports of love withdrawal from mothers and fathers. Results also suggested that mean levels of autonomy granting from parents were highest in the U.S. sample and lowest in China. Results provide support for the universality of autonomy granting as a salient aspect of parenting across cultures but also point to areas where significant cultural differences exist.
KW - Autonomy development
KW - Cross-cultural validity
KW - Parent-adolescent relationships
KW - Parenting
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U2 - 10.1177/0022022109339390
DO - 10.1177/0022022109339390
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70350129910
SN - 0022-0221
VL - 40
SP - 816
EP - 833
JO - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
JF - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
IS - 5
ER -