A Cultural Exploration Based on Structured Observational Methods in Hong Kong

This study contributes to the debate on applying parenting style typologies to the Chinese population by using structured observational methods in examining parenting behaviors and styles in parent-child interactions in problem-solving situations. Participants were 81 parent-child dyads in Hong Kong. The four parenting groups identified through cluster analysis were authoritative, authoritarian, disengaged, and task-oriented. This clustering was compared internally on parenting attributes and child's school-related outcomes, as well as externally with the Parent Behavior Report typology assessed through the child-report method. Discussion was based on the conceptual and theoretical implications of this new clustering using observational methods.