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. 2018 Oct;32(7):915-925.
doi: 10.1037/fam0000450.

Autonomy support in toddlerhood: Similarities and contrasts between mothers and fathers

Claire Hughes  1 , Anja Lindberg  1 , Rory T Devine  2
Affiliations

Autonomy support in toddlerhood: Similarities and contrasts between mothers and fathers

Claire Hughes et al. J Fam Psychol. 2018 Oct.

Erratum in

Abstract

Infant exploration often hinges on parental autonomy support (i.e., parental behaviors that support children's goals, interests, and choices), a construct that is widely applied in family studies of school-age children and adolescents but less studied in infants and toddlers. Notable gaps concern the equivalence, similarities, and contrasts between mothers' and fathers' autonomy support and the correlates of individual differences in autonomy support. To address these underresearched topics, we conducted parallel home-based structured play observations of 195 infants (Mage = 14.42 months, SD = .59) in dyadic interaction with mothers and fathers. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated measurement invariance across parent gender, enabling comparisons that revealed significantly moderately higher levels of autonomy support in mothers than in fathers. Individual differences in autonomy support were unrelated to either parental personality or child temperament, highlighting the potential importance of dyadic characteristics. Consistent with this view, whereas maternal autonomy support did not differ by child gender, fathers with sons displayed less autonomy support than did fathers with daughters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Unstandardized and standardized (in parentheses) estimates for the equal form autonomy support model. CC = Concern for Competence; VA = Verbalisations; FP = Flexibility and Perspective Taking; PC = Following Child’s Pace and Providing Opportunities for Choice. * p < .05. ** p < .01.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Unstandardized and standardized (in parentheses) estimates for child correlates of maternal and paternal autonomy support. To simplify the presentation, the path model diagram omits parameter estimates for covariances between indicator residuals and between gender, age, surgency, and effortful control. Lighter data indicate correlates of paternal autonomy support, and darker data indicate correlates of maternal autonomy support. CC = Concern for Competence; VA = Verbalisations; FP = Flexibility and Perspective Taking; PC = Following Child’s Pace and Providing Opportunities for Choice; AUTF = autonomy support in fathers; AUTM = autonomy support in mothers. * p < .05. ** p < .01.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Unstandardized and standardized (in parentheses) estimates for parental correlates of maternal and paternal autonomy support. To simplify the presentation, the path model diagram omits parameter estimates for covariances between indicator residuals and between socioeconomic status, responsibility, and personality indicators. Lighter data indicate correlates of paternal autonomy support, and darker data indicate correlates of maternal autonomy support. CC = Concern for Competence; VA = Verbalisations; FP = Flexibility and Perspective Taking; PC = Following Child’s Pace and Providing Opportunities for Choice; AUTF = autonomy support in fathers; AUTM = autonomy support in mothers; SES = socioeconomic status. * p < .05. ** p < .01.
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