Parent-Child Discrepancy A Comparison of U.S. and South Korean Clinical Samples

The present study examined agreement between parent and children regarding the behavioral and emotional functioning of the child utilizing the Ohio Scales. It also explored cultural influences on parent-child agreement through a comparison of three clinical samples (e.g., U.S. Caucasian, U.S. non-Caucasian, and South Korean) that were comprised of 228 parent-child pairs. Four different statistical approaches (e.g., correlations, difference scores, generalized distance scores, q-correlations) were used to examine parent-child agreement. Results found that overall, South Korean parents and children presented with similar or higher levels of agreement compared to the other two samples based on the four statistical methods utilized. Interactions between ethnicity and age or gender were explored and results were reported. In the South Korean sample, age and gender were not found to significantly influence parent-child agreement and higher agreement was found for externalizing factor scores compared to internalizing factor scores based on analysis of agreement utilizing generalized distance scores. Findings provide further evidence for the importance of utilizing multiple informants and taking into consideration cultural influences on parent-child agreement. Research that further explores cultural differences in parent-child concordance, directly examines the influence of cultural differences on parent-child agreement, and addresses clinical implications of cultural differences on parent-child discrepancy is warranted.