Perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's outcomes in Colombia

The relationship between perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's adjustment was analyzed. The sample consisted of 234 children and 234 parental figures (mother or primary female caregiver, and father or primary male caregiver) living in two-parent nuclear families in Colombia. The children's age range was 7 to 13 (M = 9.7). Children completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Child PARQ mother and father versions; Rohner, 1990), and the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ; Rohner, 1990). Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach and Edelbrock, 1983). The analyses revealed that perceived paternal and maternal acceptance were both related to self-reported children's psychological adjustment. Perceived acceptance from mothers, but not from fathers, was directly related to children's behavioral problems as reported by parents. Results suggested that the effect of perceived paternal acceptance on children's behavioral problems is indirect, and that maternal acceptance mediates the effects of paternal acceptance.