Associations between maternal control and child defiance among Puerto Rican-origin adolescent mothers and their toddlers: A person-centered examination.

Abstract

Parents use different forms of control to direct children toward their own demands and expectations; however, the literature on Latina parenting has demonstrated mixed findings on the influence of control on child outcomes (Halgunseth, Ispa, & Rudy, 2006). This study tested how maternal control relates to child dysregulated defiance within the cultural context experienced by Latina mother-child dyads. Participants included 122 adolescent mothers of Puerto Rican-origin and their toddlers. Highlighting the importance of ecologically-valid and culturally-sensitive methods of behavioral observation, mother and child behavior were observed during a clean-up task; mothers also reported on their levels of US acculturation and Puerto Rican enculturation. Using person-centered analyses, we identified groups of mothers by parenting behaviors (i.e., guidance, control, positive affect) and cultural orientation (i.e., acculturation, enculturation). Results revealed four sub-groups of mothers with distinct associations to child defiance: 1) enculturated/controlling, 2) bicultural/guiding, 3) bicultural/controlling, 4) acculturated/controlling. Toddlers of the mothers in the acculturated/controlling sub-group displayed greater defiance toward their mothers than those of mothers in the enculturated/controlling sub-group, even though the groups displayed similar levels of control behaviors and positive affect. Toddlers of the enculturated/controlling and the bicultural/guiding mothers displayed similar low levels of defiance, suggesting two different parenting approaches with favorable consequences for child behavior in adolescent mother and toddler dyads. Implications for culturally-informed research and tailored services for young Latina families are discussed.

Understanding the Role of Parental Control in Early Childhood in the Context of U.S. Latino Families in the 21st Century

“…Among immigrant Latino parents in the U.S., it has been suggested that differences in levels of acculturation might contribute to differences in mean levels of parental intrusiveness and its effects on children's adjustment (Hill et al 2003;Ispa et al 2004). Even though findings are mixed, some studies have indicated that among less acculturated mothers, controlling behaviors, such as intrusiveness and physical and verbal discipline, may have fewer negative or positive implications for children's development, compared to more acculturated mothers (Barajas-Gonzalez et al 2018;Ispa et al 2004;Wood and Grau 2018).…”

“…In a recent study by Wood and Grau (2018), associations between maternal control and child dysregulated defiance were examined among Puerto Rican adolescent mothers and their toddlers. Person-centered analyses indicated four different parenting profiles: enculturated/controlling, bicultural/guiding, bicultural/controlling, and acculturated/controlling.…”

“…In sum, whereas some studies have indicated that maternal warmth moderates associations between different forms of parental control (i.e., intrusiveness and physical discipline) and children's adjustment, others have not found empirical support for this premise. Variability in findings has led some researchers to conclude that parental control among Latina mothers is not always harmful, and can even be beneficial, depending on the context and child developmental outcome considered (Carlson and Harwood 2003;Ispa et al 2004;Wood and Grau 2018).…”

Introduction to special issue on research methods and design considerations with Latinx populations.

“…Yet, previous studies on authoritarian parenting among Lat-inxs have equivocal findings. In an effort to resolve previous mixed findings, Wood and Grau (2018) provide insight into the importance of ecologically valid and culturally sensitive methods of behavioral observation among Puerto Rican mothers and their toddlers. This article is innovative and rigorous with the authors' mixed methods approach that combined observational techniques with quantitative person-centered analysis.…”