The role of culture in parents’ responses to children’s performance

This chapter focuses on how parents’ responses to children’s performance act as a mechanism of cultural socialization such that children develop in line with cultural priorities. We introduce a model of cultural socialization in which cultural norms and values—as well as societal structure—shape parents’ goals for children, which drive parents’ responses to children’s performance, including their praise. Parents’ responses, in turn, contribute to children’s emotional and academic adjustment in a manner consistent with cultural priorities. We concentrate on the West and East Asia given differences in the two regions that may shape parents’ responses to children’s performance via their goals for children. We end with a consideration of the potential for parents’ responses to children’s performance to contribute to cultural change.