Personal Values, Not Family Structure, Differentiate Parenting Profiles in Brazilian Families

Parenting reflects the interplay of socialization practices, emotional warmth, and rejection, expressing underlying values regarding child development. Using a person-centered approach, we identified parenting profiles in a Brazilian community sample based on parents’ developmental goals. We examined whether profiles differed by demographics, family structure, materialism, and personal values. Participants included 129 parents (69% mothers) encompassing nuclear, remarried, single parent, and LGBTQ+ family structures. Clustering and latent profile analysis (LPA) identified two groups: high-expectation (78%) and low-expectation parents. High-expectation parents showed stronger endorsement of developmental goals like identity formation, caring, and self-confidence. Profiles did not differ by family structure, sociodemographic factors, or materialism. However, high-expectation parents reported stronger endorsement of conformity-related values, including fulfilling duties, respecting elders, and maintaining stability. Findings suggest differences in parenting profiles align closely with specific value dimensions rather than family structure. Future research is needed.