Parenting and adolescents’ values and behaviour: the moderating role of temperament

Keywords

parenting, pro-social values, pro-social behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parenting and adolescent fearfulness on adolescents’ pro‐social values and pro‐social and antisocial behaviour. A total of 134 adolescents (M age = 16.22, 72 girls, 62 boys) responded to questions regarding their own fearfulness, pro‐social values and pro‐social and antisocial behaviour, as well as their perceptions of maternal attachment and maternal appropriateness. Results revealed few main‐effect findings, most notably a negative relation between attachment and antisocial behaviour. However, findings pointed to several multiplicative relations as a function of parenting, adolescent fearfulness, and child gender, including: (1) maternal appropriateness was more important for boys than for girls, (2) maternal attachment was related to greater importance of pro‐social values and higher pro‐social behaviour for boys low on fear and (3) maternal appropriateness was related to lower antisocial behaviour for boys low on fear. The discussion focuses on the importance of examining the multiplicative relations between parenting and adolescent temperament and the implications of this for both educators and parents.

Original Publication Citation

Padilla-Walker, L. M., & Nelson, L. J. (2010). Parenting and adolescents’ values and behavior: The moderating role of temperament. Journal of Moral Education, 39, 491-509.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2010-10-29

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7488

Publisher

Journal of Moral Education

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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