Coparenting in English-Speaking and Chinese Families: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Using the Survey Tool CoPAFS

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Family studies
• Sociology

Background:

• Coparenting research is predominantly Western-centric.
• Limited understanding of coparenting dynamics in non-Western cultures.
• Need for cross-cultural comparisons in family relationship studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare coparenting dynamics between English-speaking and Chinese parents.
• To investigate cultural differences in coparenting constructs.
• To examine the influence of culture and gender on coparenting.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study of 399 English-speaking parents (US/Canada) and 534 Chinese parents (Mainland China).
• Utilized the Coparenting across Family Structures (CoPAFS) measurement tool.
• Employed multigroup invariance analyses to assess cross-cultural equivalence.

Main Results:

• The CoPAFS tool required local adjustment for Chinese cultural context.
• English-speaking and Chinese parents differed significantly in valuing communication and trust.
• Culture was identified as a more dominant factor than gender in shaping coparenting views.

Conclusions:

• Cross-cultural adaptation of the CoPAFS tool is necessary for accurate assessment.
• Cultural values profoundly influence perceptions of effective coparenting.
• Future research should explore culturally specific coparenting factors and interventions.