Cultural Correlates of Parent-Nonparent Stereotypes: A Multivariate Analysis

This study empirically examines the cultural meanings of parental and nonparental roles. A multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the influence of generational group, family size, and place of residence on ratings of personality traits for each role by 57 mother‐ daughter pairs. Respondents perceived the nonparental role very differently from the parental role with generational group emerging as the main driver variable. The findings of this study strongly suggest that parental role stereotyping does not occur in a simple bivariate manner but results from the interplay of several factors.