Perspectives of Early Adolescents, Parents, and Grandparents on Parenting Behaviors in China

Abstract

In China, both parents and grandparents play an important role in child-rearing. However, it is unclear whether parenting behaviors reported by early adolescents, parents, and grandparents are comparable. Therefore, this study investigated (a) cross-generational validity of reporting (grand)parenting behavior based on perspectives of adolescents, parents, and grandparents; (b) mean differences in parenting across informants; and (c) how (grand)parenting is related to adolescent’s problem behaviors. The sample included 1,149 early adolescents, 1,038 mothers, 926 fathers, and 248 grandparents. Confirmatory factor analyses showed scalar measurement invariance for a five-factor parenting model, including parental support, proactive control, punitive control, harsh punitive control, and psychological control, across informants. Pearson correlations indicated evidence for agreement between informant dyads. Paired samples t-tests showed the lowest scores for grandparents on all parenting variables. By comparing covariance matrices, the results suggested that interrelations of parenting dimensions and associations between parenting and problem behaviors differ for different family members.