Maternal affect-allowance and limit-setting appropriateness as predictors of child adjustment

This study sought to determine whether social competence in children is related to maternal ability to (a) respond differentially to child compliance and noncompliance; and (b) be tolerant of child affect. The study sought to validate aspects of the "reflective" view of personality socialization. One hundred and ninety-five 4-year-olds were rated on the Kohn social competence scale. Mothers were asked to role-play typical responses to childrearing vignettes. The vignettes portrayed child compliance or noncompliance and child affect or no affect. Maternal responses were scored on control level and affect acceptance. The results generally supported the hypotheses. Mothers of high socially competent children were more likely to gear their limit-setting efforts to the fact of noncompliance, regardless of whether affect was expressed. Furthermore, they were more likely to make comments supporting the expression of affect. The results, in addition to supporting a reflective approach to discipline, suggest the need for socialization researchers to adopt a more differentiated approach to the measurement of parental "control" than has been the case in previous investigations.