Socialization and Achievement Motivation in Brazil

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of family structure to socialization and achievement motivation in Brazil. A Thematic Apperception Test was used to measure achievement motivation in boys; observation, interviews and questionnaires were employed to obtain data on family structure, child-rearing practices and the boy's perception of his parents. The Brazilian data were compared with those obtained from a criterion group of American boys and their mothers, matched by age and social class. The data revealed that Brazilian mothers were less likely to train their sons in self-reliance, autonomy, and achievement than were American mothers. This de-emphasis on independence and achievement was associated with a common type of family structure in Brazil-the authoritarian, father-dominated family. The indulgence, over-protectiveness, and authoritarianism which boys experience in this type of family were regarded as significant factors responsible for the markedly low achievement motivation among Brazilian boys.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 45 citations exist upstream.