Perceived Maternal Disciplinary Practices and Their Relation to Development of Moral Judgment

Abstract

The relationship between maternal disciplinary practices and moral judgment in children was examined. Sex and social class were included as variables. Two hundred and forty-nine children, from upper-middleand working-class samples, were interviewed on maternal disciplinary practices. Data on moral judgment were available from a previous study. Results indicated a general pattern of negative correlations between maternal power assertion and child's moral maturity scores (MMS), and positive correlations between maternal induction and MMS. The correlations were, however, statistically significant only in the case of upper-middle-class girls. Use of love withdrawal as a disciplinary measure was reported very infrequently. The results are discussed in terms of the theoretical issues related to induction as a process variable, and a cross-cultural perspective of the empirical findings is described.