Abstract:
Traditional studies of parent-child relationships have focused on
the influence of parental characteristics on various behavioral,
social, and personality outcomes in children. During the past decade,
social scientists have suggested that other influences of the social
worlds of individuals be studied. As a result, the parent-child
system is being studied in relationship to the child-peer system.
These studies are beginning to indicate that the family and peer
system are related in a variety of ways. In accordance with these
ideas, the purpose of this study was to examine how parental perceptions
of the family environment (i.e., cohesion, expressiveness, and
conflict), adult psychosocial competence, acceptance of children, and
socioeconomic status predict social competence in children's peer
relations.
Subjects consisted of 74 pairs of parents and their children aged
3-5 years who resided in northwest communities with populations of
30,000-40,000. Questionnaire data were administered to the parents and
sociometric measures and teacher ratings were collected on the
children. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the
theoretical model developed for the study. Separate regression
analyses were conducted to analyze the father-mother-child, father-mother-
son, and father-mother-daughter relationships. Partial support
was found for the predicted relationships between parental perceptions
and children's social competence. In addition, differences
between fathers' and mothers' and the sex of the child
were noted. In general boys' peer acceptance was predicted by
mothers' competence and cohesion, while popularity was predicted by
fathers' competence. Rejection by peers was predicted by low maternal
acceptance and cohesion. Teacher ratings were predicted by mothers'
cohesion and acceptance and fathers' competence.
For girls, peer acceptance was predicted by fathers'
expressiveness and cohesion. Popularity was predicted by fathers'
competence and acceptance, and mothers' expressiveness, while
rejection was predicted by fathers' conflict. Teacher ratings were
predicted by mothers' acceptance and competence and fathers'
competence.
It was concluded that parental perceptions of some aspects of the
family environment are adequate predictors of social competence in
children's peer relations.
