Citation

Sorbring E, Gurdal S. Parent. Sci. Pract. 2011; 11(2-3): 177-189.

Affiliation

Department for Social and Behavioural Studies, University West, S - 461 86 Trollhättan, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15295192.2011.585565

PMID

21927589

PMCID

PMC3173942

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined mean level similarities and differences as well as correlations between mothers' and fathers' attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes.

DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 77 Swedish families.

RESULTS: Fathers reported higher adult-controlled failure and child-controlled failure attributions than did mothers; these differences remained significant after controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias. Significant positive correlations were found for mothers' and fathers' progressive attitudes, authoritarian attitudes, and modernity of attitudes after controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias.

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in Sweden fathers are more likely to attribute failures in caregiving situations both to themselves and to children than are mothers and that there is moderate concordance between fathers and mothers within the same family in progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes.

Language: en