Mothers' perceptions of children's age of maturity : an exploratory study

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
John Patrick McAninch (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Hyman Rodman

Abstract: This study examined the construct of perceived age of maturity. Mothers' perceptions of normative capabilities are presumed to influence their child rearing decisions. Responses were collected with the Perceived Age of Maturity (PAM) Scale, developed by Rodman and Pratto (1980), as part of an instrument distributed to a nationwide sample of mothers with children in self-care. The instrument assessed self-care variables, family structure, and demographics as well as perceived age of maturity. The responses of 288 mothers to the PAM Scale were used in this study to answer the following research questions: (1) Is there a significant difference between mothers' patterns of responses for boys and for girls? (2) Are there underlying dimensions in the Perceived Age of Maturity Scale? (3) Do respondents' personal and social attributes help account for a significant degree of variation in their reported perceptions of children's age of maturity?

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1987
Subjects
Maturation (Psychology)
Mother and child
Child development

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