Brenda Rojas, Beth A. Kotchick, Ph.D., Heather Z. Lyons, Ph.D., Mary Jo Coiro, Ph.D.

Criando Niños: The Association Among Latino Cultural Values, Acculturation, and Parenting Styles

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The purpose of this study is to 1) assess common parenting styles and cultural values among Latino parents and 2) analyze how acculturation may interact with Latino cultural values to predict parenting styles. It specifically aims to examine authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles and the Latino cultural values of familismo, respeto, machismo, and marianismo interaction with high versus low levels of acculturation.

The participants will consist of approximately 120 parents (one parent per child) of children or adolescents between the ages of 3 and 18 years old in attendance at community mental health centers, private mental health clinics, immigrant resource centers, churches, and hospitals located in Miami, Florida, and Baltimore, Maryland and the surrounding areas. The present study will utilize a cross-sectional, correlational, self-report design. Participants will be provided with a set of surveys that measure participants parenting styles and dimensions (Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire; PSDQ), their relatedness to the Latino cultural values of familismo, respeto, machismo, and marianismo (The Attitudinal Familism Scale; The Mexican American Cultural Values Scale for Adolescents and Adults – Respect Subscale; Machismo and Caballerismo Scale; Marianismo Beliefs Scale), and their acculturation level (The Abbreviated Multidimensional Acculturation Scale).

The primary hypothesis provided by the researcher is that acculturation level will moderate the hypothesized associations between (a) identification with each Latino cultural value and authoritative parenting style; and (b) identification with each Latino cultural value and authoritarian parenting style, such that these associations will be strongest when parent reported acculturation levels are lower. The findings of this study would potentially shed light on the cultural values and processes that shape Latino parenting practices which subsequently impact child psychosocial outcomes. Given the increasing diversity in the U.S., it is important for mental health practitioners to be made aware of the cultural factors that impact Latino families to better serve their needs and provide culturally sensitive services.