Journal of Family Psychology Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association 2006, Vol. 20, No. 1, 68–78 0893-3200/06/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0893-3200.20.1.68 Authoritarian Parenting in Individualist and Collectivist Groups: Associations With Maternal Emotion and Cognition and Children’s Self-Esteem Duane Rudy and Joan E. Grusec University of Toronto Mothers and children between the ages of 7 and 12, from individualist (Western European) and collectivist (Egyptian, Iranian, Indian, and Pakistani) backgrounds, completed assess- ments of children’s self-esteem, maternal authoritarianism, and mothers’ thoughts and feel- ings about their children. Collectivist mothers endorsed authoritarian parenting more than did individualist mothers but did not feel or think more negatively about their children, and collectivist children were not lower in self-esteem. Within both groups, maternal negative affect and cognition were associated with lower self-esteem in children. However, maternal authoritarianism was associated with maternal negative emotion and cognition only in the individualist group. The results suggest that maternal negative thoughts and feelings, asso- ciated with authoritarianism in individualist but not collectivist groups, may be more detrimental to children’s self-esteem than is authoritarianism in and of itself. Keywords: parent–child relations, parental control, cross-cultural differences, child rearing attitudes, children’s self-esteem Authoritarian parenting has been associated with a vari- Control in Different Cultural Contexts ety of negative outcomes for middle-class children of Eu- ropean background (see Steinberg & Silk, 2002, for a recent Numerous studies have found that cultures that empha- review). The data are less compelling, however, when fam- size interdependence (e.g., Turkish, Indian, Latin American, ilies from other cultural contexts are considered (e.g., Chao Asian, and Puerto Rican) commonly use higher levels of & Tseng, 2002). In this study, we investigate the correlates control over children, emphasize obedience, and are more of authoritarian parenting in individualist and collectivist restraining during social play and feeding than are those that cultural groups to elucidate its meaning in these groups. We emphasize independence (Chao, 1994; Dornbusch, Ritter, also assess the impact of authoritarianism and those poten- Leiderman, Roberts, & Fraleigh, 1987; Harwood, Miller, & tial correlates on children’s self-esteem. Irrizary, 1995; Kagˇic¸ıbas¸ı, 1970; Sinha, 1981). Grusec, Rudy, and Martini (1997) addressed reasons for this differ- ence by extending the work of Markus and Kitayama (1991). They argued that in collectivist groups, individuals must learn to inhibit the expression of their own wants and Duane Rudy and Joan Grusec, Department of Psychology, needs and to attend to the needs of others in the in-group, an University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. outcome achieved through the use of more authoritarian Duane Rudy is now at the Department of Human Development parenting practices. Deference to authority is also valued by and Family Studies, University of Missouri—Columbia. more collectivist cultures (Hofstede, 1983). Authoritarian This research was conducted as part of the doctoral dissertation parenting, which requires obedience from children without of Duane Rudy and was completed under the supervision of Joan expression of their own point of view, may promote the Grusec. Financial support was provided by a grant from the Social development of these qualities. Thus, in collectivist groups, Science and Humanities Research Council to Joan Grusec. We thank Malektaj Hejazi for her help in recruiting and col- authoritarian parenting may be appropriate for the outcomes lecting data; M. D. Khalid for putting us in contact with some valued by that particular cultural group. participants in the study; Kelly McShane, Marilisa Morea, and In individualist settings, autonomy, self-reliance, and Jane Wong, who worked as research assistants; and the mothers self-interest are often the focus in socialization, albeit in a and children who participated in the study. We also thank Mark context of positive relationships with others. In individualist Fine and Kim Leon for their valuable comments on previous contexts, authoritative parenting, with its emphasis on ne- versions of this article. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to gotiation and responsiveness to children’s input, may be Duane Rudy, Department of Human Development and Family appropriate. In these settings, authoritarian parenting would Studies, 314 Gentry Hall, University of Missouri—Columbia, Co- have a different motivation than the instilling of values of lumbia, MO 65201. E-mail: [email protected] respect for the group: Indeed, as we argue below, it may be 68 AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING AND COLLECTIVISM 69 a reflection of negative attitudes and feelings toward the did German undergraduates, but they reported higher levels child. of maternal acceptance. Japanese adolescents also reported Aside from promoting collectivist values, parents from accepting their mothers’ influence more than did the Ger- collectivist groups may use authoritarian parenting because man adolescents. Furthermore, there was a negative associ- they see it as normative and necessary for the promotion of ation between control and acceptance in the German sample optimal development in children. Whether or not a partic- but no correlation in the Japanese sample. Similarly, Korean ular mother from a collectivist background endorses collec- adolescents’ reports of parental control were associated with tivist values, then, she may use authoritarian parenting higher perceptions of parental warmth for both mothers and because she sees it as endorsed by other parents in her fathers (Rohner & Pettengill, 1985). Furthermore, Kagˇic¸ı- group. In such a case, one would expect authoritarian par- bas¸ı (1970) found that Turkish parents were more control- enting not to reflect parental negativity. On the other hand, ling than were parents from the United States, but there whether or not a mother from an individualist background were no differences between the groups in terms of parental endorses collectivist values, her pursuit of authoritarian affection. Along with the emotional correlates of authori- parenting goes against her culture’s norms. Thus when she tarian parenting, Rudy and Grusec (2001) have examined is authoritarian this might reflect negativity because it goes cognitive correlates in individualist and collectivist sam- against what is thought to be appropriate. ples. They found that, in Egyptian- and European-Canadian Children also interpret the meaning of authoritarian par- samples, low warmth and low feelings of control in difficult enting on the basis of what is normative. Kagˇic¸ıbas¸ı (1996) child rearing situations were associated with authoritarian- has argued that in more interdependent cultures, children ism for the European- but not for the Egyptian-Canadians. see strong parental control as normal and not necessarily as In addition to within-group associations, Rudy and reflecting parental rejection, whereas in individualist cul- Grusec (2001) found Egyptian-Canadians to score higher tures it is perceived as not normal and therefore reflecting than European-Canadians on collectivism and authoritari- hostility or rejection on the part of parents. Indeed, Tromms- anism. However, there were few differences in parenting dorf (1985) stated that Japanese adolescents feel rejected emotion and cognition (negative attributions, feelings of when their parents provide little control and encourage control), consistent with the argument that high levels of autonomy. authoritarianism in collectivist groups would not be accom- panied by high levels of negative affect and thinking. The Emotional and Cognitive Correlates of Authoritarian Parenting in Individualist and Authoritarian Parenting and Children’s Outcomes in Collectivist Groups Collectivist Groups Research that has examined the emotional correlates of If, in nonindividualist groups, authoritarian parenting is authoritarian parenting supports the contention that authori- not associated with negative parental emotion and cogni- tarianism may have different meanings in different cultural tion, it stands to reason that it may be less likely to be contexts. In samples of primarily European American ori- associated with deleterious outcomes in children.1 Evidence gin, authoritarianism is associated with parental rejection, supporting this hypothesis comes from poor, single-parent anger, and lack of warmth (Coplan, Hastings, Lagace´- African American families where Brody and Flor (1998) Se´guin, & Moulton, 2002; Dix & Reinhold, 1991). Euro- observed “no-nonsense” parenting, consisting of highly pean American parents who are authoritarian also tend to controlling interventions that were accompanied by mater- believe that children choose to misbehave rather than seeing nal warmth. This style of parenting was associated with misbehavior as the result of extenuating circumstances greater cognitive and social competence and fewer internal- (Dix, Ruble, & Zambarano, 1989). When such attributions izing problems in children, an outcome mediated by chil- are inaccurate, they may lead to ineffective parenting. Fur- dren’s self-regulation skills. Similarly, Lindahl and Malik thermore, parents who make negative attributions may feel (1999) found that authoritarianism was positively related to hostile toward