Independence-supportive praise versus interdependence-promoting praise

This study used dinnertime observational data to investigate parental praise in Chinese-immigrant and European-American families. Three process models of praise with distinctive communicative content were uncovered. Two models focus on adherence to parental expectations, which promote the development of an interdependent self (interdependence-promoting praise). One focuses on child's self-initiated behaviors and supports the development of an independent self (independence-supportive praise). Consistent with past findings, independence-supportive praise is widely distributed in European-American families. Although interdependence-promoting praise has been overlooked in previous research, it is commonly found in Chinese-immigrant families. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the development of culturally inclusive models of praise.