Major and Classification
Psychology
Faculty Mentor
- Stanley Huey, Ph.D.
Department
- Psychology
McNair Project
Differences in Perceptions Regarding Parent Child Interaction
Extensive research addresses the effects of parental behavior on children. However, the role of the child’s perception regarding the parent-child interaction has received limited attention. The current research investigates the discrepancy between the parent and child reports of parental behavior and the effects of parents’ positive expectations, commitment to education, creation of a supportive environment, modeling of positive behavior, self-care, and persistence regarding their child’s behavior and academic attainment. The participants included 17 African American parent-child pairs selected from the Los Angeles area; participants reported the parents’ adoption of the six principles of the Successful African American Parenting Questionnaire (SAAPQ) as well as other measures of child behavior issues. A difference score was calculated by subtracting the parents’ rating of their behavior from the child’s rating. Analyses were then conducted on this difference score to determine its relationship with the child’s academics and behavior. It was found that greater discrepancy between the parents’ reporting and the child’s reporting of the parent’s commitment to education, and supportive environment resulted in lower delinquency and the discrepancy in reporting the parent’s persistence resulted in higher aggression. Findings will emphasize the importance of the discrepancy between parent-child perceptions in order to garner greater results when providing interventions for families with youth suffering from behavioral or academic difficulties.