The proposed project aims to examine whether growing up in a single-parent family has long-term consequences for the succeeding generations. Previous studies have shown that children who grow up with one biological parent receive less encouragement, supervision, and control than children who grow up with two biological parents. Some researchers argue that children model their own childrearing practices on their parents' behaviors, while others argue that children compensate for their parents' shortcomings by being more involved with their own children when they become parents. Yet whether growing up in a single parent family undermines or supports' parenting in the next generation is a question that remains unanswered. The proposed project will go beyond prior research by identifying four barriers and buffers that may mediate the influence of growing up in a single-parent family on offspring's parenting behavior. Data are taken from the 1968-1997 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and the 1997 Child Development Supplement. The analyses are based on 1,761 respondents who are biological children of 1,183 families that have been followed up since 1968. Multiple domains of parenting practices - discipline, warmth, engagement, participation in school activities, time spent with children, parental stress, and shared parenting are considered. The PSID's prospective design and national representative samples provide a unique opportunity for researchers to examine the influence of growing up in a single-parent family on next generation parenting. In the end, the project is expected to provide the groundwork for a subsequent submission as an R01.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03HD042566-02
Application #
6772492
Study Section
Pediatrics Subcommittee (CHHD)
Program Officer
Evans, V Jeffrey
Project Start
2003-07-07
Project End
2006-04-30
Budget Start
2004-05-01
Budget End
2006-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$68,100
Indirect Cost
Name
Bowling Green State University
Department
Social Sciences
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
617407325
City
Bowling Green
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
43403