The relations between social class, maternal values of self-direction and conformity, and child persistence.

The purpose of this study was to extend the understanding of contextual factors that are associated with children's motivational development in early childhood. The study examined the relations between family social class, maternal values of self-direction and conformity, and child persistence in accomplishing a challenging task, which was conceptualized as one of the component processes of motivation. Two hundred thirty one mothers and their 3.5-year-old children participated in the study. Consistent with Kohn's (1979) theoretical perspective, the findings indicated that middle-class mothers valued self-direction in their children more and conformity less than mothers of the working class. Children of mothers who valued self-direction more than conformity showed higher levels of persistence. The study also tested a model in which maternal values served as a mediator between family social class and child persistence. No direct association between family social class and child persistence was found, thus the mediational model was not supported. Implications for developmental programs and directions for future research are stated