Parenting styles and preschoolers’ play behaviour: a cross-cultural comparison between Taiwan and the United States

This study investigates the relation between parenting styles and children's play behaviour in Taiwan and the United States. Using purposive sampling, 107 parent–child dyads were recruited from university-affiliated preschools (64 in Taiwan, 43 in the U.S.). Children's play behaviour was assessed via the Play Observation Scale (POS) over a three-month period, while parental discipline styles were measured using the Parenting Style Dimensions Questionnaire (PSD). Results revealed that American parents were more likely to adopt an authoritative style, while Taiwanese parents showed a stronger tendency towards authoritarian parenting. Additionally, American children engaged in more group play than their Taiwanese counterparts. While authoritative parenting showed no significant association with children's play, authoritarian parenting was moderately and negatively correlated with group play. Further, parental warmth/acceptance and punitive/irrational strategies emerged as significant predictors of children's group play behaviour. These findings highlight the culturally contingent associations between parenting styles and children's social play, underscoring the importance of parental warmth and disciplinary strategies in shaping early peer interactions.