Quality of Mother-Child Interaction and the Intergenerational Transmission of Sexual Values: A Panel Study

Abstract

The role of mothers as socializing agents was examined in a longitudinal study. It was assumed that mothers can transmit their own values to their children, especially if the quality of their interaction is good. Whether children influence their mothers' values was also examined. The hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and structural equation modeling, drawing on data from 253 English adolescent-mother pairs. The results provided little support for the hypotheses. There was some evidence that mothers influenced their children's sexual attitudes, but this effect was found for the families characterized by a low quality of parent-child interaction, rather than for the families characterized by a high quality of interaction. No evidence was found for the assumption that children influence their mothers' sexual attitudes and beliefs. Implications of the study for future research are discussed.