Socioeconomic status in Brazilian psychological research: II. socioeconomic status and parenting knowledge

Abstract

Although studies of parenting cognitions and practices across cultures have increased systematically in the last years, research specifically on parents' knowledge of childrearing and child development remains very little frequent in non-U.S. settings. In Brazil this issue is still underresearched. This study addressed two main questions: What do Brazilian mothers know about childrearing and child development? How does this knowledge vary with their socioeconomic status and education in particular? A Brazilian version of the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (KIDI) was administered to a sample of 64 primiparous mothers, and data about the family's socioeconomic status were collected. Relations of SES and some of its components to parents' knowledge about childrearing and child development were then analyzed. The mean total correct score obtained by the Brazilian mothers on the KIDI was lower than the mean score obtained by the American mothers. There were no differences between KIDI scores obtained by mothers of boys and mothers of girls. Mothers' education was the best predictor of the KIDI. This study gives support to the view that differences in parenting knowledge are ascribable primarily to variation in educational attainment, a principal indicator of SES, and has implications for the development of parental educational programs.

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