Influences on Parent Behavior, 1958

The inquiry focused on three areas: (1) values (including value of parental role), goals as parents, aspirations for children, and behaviors they seek to inculcate; (2) beliefs, both instrumental and descriptive; and (3) other influences, such as parents' experiences in their own families or communities of origin, or the effect of their children's behavior.

The study was not intended to relate parental values, beliefs, or other influences to specific child-rearing practices. Participants were 41 sets of parents of young children located through agencies, neighborhood visits, and referrals from pediatricians and ministers. The families in the sample were diverse in socioeconomic status, religion, age, occupation, educational attainment, and in the number and age of their children.