Relationships between adolescents’ memory of parental rearing styles, social values and socialisation behavior traits

This study explores the relationships between memories of parental-rearing (measured through the EMBU), social values and socialised behaviour traits in an adolescent population, and also the psychometric properties of a measure of social values in the adolescent population. Four hundred and eight boys and 424 girls from the general population constituted the sample. Social values were assessed by a new self-report questionnaire composed of 30 items. A previous analysis of this measure revealed a three factor structure (Benevolence, Social power, and Security) with good psychometric properties. Behaviour traits were assessed by the participants’ teachers. Results show that aggressive subjects remember their parents as more rejecting, overprotective, favouring, and less warm. On the contrary, benevolent subjects were more responsible, sensitive, sociable, and their parent-rearing style was seen as warmer. Social values were moderately predicted by Emotional Warmth and Rejection.