THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL-CLASS AND CHILD-REARING BEHAVIORS - PARENTS PERSPECTIVE-TAKING AND VALUE ORIENTATIONS

In this study, the concept of parental perspective taking is hypothesi zed to explain relationships between social class and parental childre aring behaviors better than parental value orientations do. Using mult iple indicators for all variables in a Dutch sample of 237 mothers and fathers, we identified a structural equation model with latent variab les for social class, value orientations, perspective taking, and chil drearing behaviors. Results show that the level of parental perspectiv e taking plays a mediating role between social class and parental beha vior. Moreover, both value orientations and childrearing behaviors app ear to be dependent on parental perspective taking.