UCLA

This 3-study dissertation explored the relations between parenting and child self-regulation in Chinese American families. A particular focus of this work involved examining the role of demographic backgrounds and cultural values of mothers in shaping maternal beliefs and practices. In Study 1, I collected online survey data from 110 Chinese American mothers (Mage = 34.50, SD = 6.49) to explore relations among mothers' family income, generational status, cultural values, maternal practices, and child executive functions (EF). Results revealed that mothers’ generational status was negatively associated with collectivistic values. High familism values rather than collectivistic values were significantly associated with high maternal absolute authority and coercion/inconsistency. Moreover, the study demonstrated that only maternal coercion/inconsistency was negatively associated with child EF. In Study 2, I conducted virtual Zoom meetings with 42 Chinese American mother-child dyads to examine Chinese American mothers’ (Mage = 39.11, SD = 4.15) scaffolding strategies during a drawing game, and how those practices relate to children’s (Mage = 6.52, SD = 1.08, Nboy = 21) performance in different EF tasks. Results showed that mothers employed more explanation and directiveness with younger children and second-generation Chinese American mothers use more directive strategies than first-generation mothers. In Study 3, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 32 Chinese American mothers to explore maternal beliefs and practices among Chinese mothers that are specifically related to self-regulation in children’s daily life. Results indicated that mothers’ beliefs about self-regulation covered emotional, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of self-regulation. Most mothers also emphasized both collectivistic and individualistic regulatory goals, expecting children to be respectful and compliant, as well as independent and self-reliant. Further, Study 3 revealed that Chinese American mothers employed a variety of parenting practices to promote their children's self-regulation abilities, with variations observed depending on the domain of behavior, children’s regulatory ability, and mothers’ personal backgrounds. Taken together, these three studies revealed the complexity of Chinese parenting in facing demands and challenges across different domains of childrearing. The current dissertation also highlights the significance of mixing quantitative and qualitative methods to enhance our understanding of the nuances in parenting within Chinese American families.