Cross-national transferability of the two-factor model of parental rearing behaviour:A contrast of data from Canada, the Fed. Rep. Germany, Hungary, Japan, Singapore and Venezuela with Dutch target ratings on the EMBU

In order to contribute to the cross-cultural study of child-rearing practices and psychopathology, this pilot study sought to examine the cross-national generalizability of parental rearing constructs by analyzing self-report data on the EMBU, an instrument designed to assess memories of parental rearing behaviour. Of the four primary factors identified originally with Dutch individuals, namely Rejection, Emotional Warmth, Overprotection and Favouring Subject, the first three were replicated in a similar form in convenience samples comprising healthy research volunteers from Canada, the Fed. Rep. Germany, Hungary, Japan, Singapore and Venezuela. Scale-level factor analyses of the constructs evidencing cross-national constancy produced identical two-factor compositions (CARE and PROTECTION) across national samples. Basic analysis of item-bias showed such an influence in the Japanese sample only which necessitated a very minor modification in two EMBU subscales. Among other things, it was concluded that the EMBU dimensional framework can be as useful for scientific purposes in the different national groups as it has proved to be in the Netherlands.