Antecedents of affective role‐taking behaviour: adolescent perceptions of parental socialization styles*

Previous research has suggested early parental socialization experiences may be associated with adolescents' affective role‐taking development. To test this assumption adolescent males' (n=58) and females' (n=57) empathy and social sensitivity behaviours were correlated with perceived paternal and maternal childrearing behaviours. Paternal support and rejection‐control and maternal support and physical affection were found to be significantly correlated with empathy and social sensitivity roletaking in males. No relationship was observed between parental socialization styles and female adolescents' empathy and social sensitivity scores. Females scored, on the average, higher on both role‐making measures than did males.