Two-generational reports of parenting in Hong Kong and England: Beyond autonomy support and psychological control

Understanding parents’ roles in shaping child development necessitates studies including parents and children across different cultures. Here, we use a multi-dimensional, multi-informant approach to investigate parenting across two different cultures: Hong Kong and England. Participants from late childhood to early adolescence (ages 9 to 16 years) and their parents (N = 1410) answered questions on six parenting dimensions: autonomy support, psychological control, warmth, rejection, structure and chaos. Differential item functioning occurred across sites and generations. Generation effects were stronger than site effects, with parents being more positive. Consistent correlations across sites indicated that children had a unidimensional view of their parents. In contrast, parents seem to hold a more multi-dimensional view that is not fully consistent across sites.