This study investigated the relationship between the combined effect of knowledge of child development and level of social-emotional maturity, and the extent to which this relationship affects adolescent attitudes toward parenting. The analysis of the data (multiple regression and canonical analysis) suggested that there were significant relationships among these variables. In general, the relationships indicated that subjects' negative attitudes toward parenting were associated with lack of knowledge of child development and low levels of social-emotional maturity, while subjects' positive attitudes toward parenting were associated with knowledge of child development and high levels of social-emotional maturity. The joint impact of knowledge of child development and social-emotional maturity factors on attitudes toward parenting accounted for 51% of the variation among the variables.
PIP: This study investigates the relationship between the combined effect of knowledge of child development and level of social-emotional maturity, and the extent to which this relationship affects adolescent attitudes toward parenting. The analysis of interview data (multiple regression and canonical analysis) from 434 volunteers attending schools in a large US metropolitan area suggests that there are significant relationships among these variables. In general, the relationships indicate that subjects' negative attitudes toward parenting were associated with lack of knowledge of child development and high levels of social-emotional maturity. The joint impact of knowledge of child development and social-emotional maturity factors on attitudes toward parenting accounted for 51% of the variation among the variables. Although the findings of the study support the contention that knowledge of child development and social-emotional maturity are factors associated with attitudes toward parenting, it is not possible to conjecture whether training adolescents for the parenting task by transmitting factual information about child development is an effective training strategy. It appears that a certain level of social-emotional maturity is necessary for cognitive instruction if child development is to be an effective method of parent attitude training. Negative parenting attitudes characterized by a lack of empathic awareness of the needs of children, and belief in the use of physical punishment, are correlated with both a lack of knowledge of child development and limited social-emotional development as well as low levels of responsibility, tolerance, socialization, and self-control. The results indicate that the joint impact of social-emotional maturity and knowledge of child development on parenting needs further investigation if intelligent decisions concerning the training of adolescents for the parenting task are to be made.