Reasoning and action complexity: Sources and consequences on maternal child-rearing behaviour

In this study, two approaches of complexity of maternal thinking were exami ned: Newberger's (1980) analysis of reasoning complexity, and Vallacher and Wegner's (1985) analysis of action complexity, that was adapted to the par enting field. Measures for action complexity and for maternal behaviours we re derived from hypothetical child-rearing situations and from mother-child observed interactions. Links between reasoning and action complexity to ch ild-rearing actions and to sources, such as socioeconomic status (SES) were explored in a Spanish sample of 60 mothers with a child 7 to 10 years old. Moreover, it was proposed that the relation between SES and maternal child -rearing behaviour was mediated by either form of complexity. A LISREL mode l for the hypothetical situations showed that the influence of SES on less positive child rearing was only mediated by Reasoning complexity, whereas A ction complexity showed an independent path to positive childrearing behavi our. A LISREL model for the observed situations showed that both maternal r easoning complexity and action complexity played an equivalent mediating ro le between maternal SES and negative child-rearing behaviour. The theoretic al and methodological implications of both aspects of complexity to the ana lysis of child-rearing behaviour were discussed.