Knowledge Box

A Cross Cultural Examination Exploring Parental Attribution on Child Misbehavior

HSB 3rd Floor Student Commons

When children misbehave, parents have a reason to explain that behavior. Parental Attribution is the reasoning a parent gives for a child’s behavior, whether that behavior was positive or negative. Studies have shown that when a child behaves positively, a parent is more likely to attribute that behavior internally, whether the child is good natured, or the parent has done a good job rearing the child. When the behavior of a child is negative, parents are more likely to attribute the behavior to external things such as another child instigating foul play or the child having an “off” day. I intent to test this hypothesis internationally with an Irish population to see if this is true of another culture. Measurements for attributing child behavior internally or externally will be gathered using a 14 item questionnaire.