Perceived Parental Practices and Prosocial Development

The relation of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic behaviors to the Parent Practices Questionnaire measure of children’s reported parental socialization practices was assessed among 120 Anglo American and Mexican American lower and upper-middle economic fourth through sixth grade children. Consistent with previous research, Mexican American children were more cooperative than Anglo American children who were more often individualistic and competitive. Also consistent with past findings, lower economic class children perceived their parents as less supporting and more punishing than upper-middle economic class children. Inconsistent with existing developmental theories, however, the relation of perceived socialization practices to prosocial behavior was not consistent across economic classes, and among lower economic class children was related to perception of parents as more punishing and more supportive.