Transcultural influences on the perception of parental rearing: A transgenerational study

A random population sample comprised of 790 subjects (380 male and 410 fema le), aged 15-81 years, completed the EMBU-a reliable and well explored ques tionnaire directed at assessing experiences of parental rearing. The aim of the study was to investigate to what extent time-bound cultural changes we re reflected in the subjects' experiences of parental rearing. Subjects wer e divided into four age groups corresponding to various historical and cult ural epochs, ranging from those who had experienced World War I and the gre at depression to those growing up in modern times. The results showed that small but significant changes between the age groups have occurred. In part icular, a successive increase in the perception of parents as emotionally w arm and caring, and a successive decrease in the experience of parental rej ection, was found. The results confirm the importance of the historical cul tural context in studies aimed at investigating factors which may contribut e to the development of individual vulnerability. Copyright (C) 1999 John W iley & Sons, Ltd.