| The present study evaluated the utility of a proposed model which specified potential associations from mothers' memories of childhood peer experiences (specific and general) to mothers' child-rearing behaviours in the domains of involvement in children's peer relationships and parenting style, and to children's social competence. Gender of child was also considered to influence these associations. Questionnaire data was gathered from 203 mother-(preschool)child dyads. Memories were measured by mothers' narrative recall of a specific peer experience, as well as by responses to a number of questions pertaining to mothers' general recall of peer acceptance, loneliness, as well as aggressive peer experiences. Measures of maternal depression, education, and mothers' value of children's sociability, and parenting style were also obtained. A two-factor measure of mothers' involvement in children's peer relations was yielded from Cohen's (1989) “Parental Involvement Checklist”. Children's social competence was multiply determined by both mothers' and teachers' ratings. Results of multivariate analyses suggested that mothers who reported a specific peer memory were less likely to have children whom teachers rated as engaging in high levels of rough and tumble play. Additionally, children of mothers who reported specific anxious-lonely memories were the most popular amongst their peers, according to teachers. Results of hierarchical regression analyses suggested that mothers' aggressive memories were associated with authoritarian parenting behaviours, which were, in turn, associated with children's rough play, aggressive, and anxious behaviour. A trend was also observed for mothers with general memories of lonely peer experiences to be more directly involved in children's peer relations, which was, in turn, associated with children's reticent play, aggressive and anxious behaviour. Mothers' general memories of peer acceptance were positively associated with children's peer acceptance (according to mothers) while mothers' general aggressive memories tended to be positively associated with children's aggressive behaviour (according to mothers). Contrary to predictions, gender effects were not elucidated in these associations. Processes by which mothers' memories of childhood peer relationships may affect parental efficacy and childrearing behaviours were discussed. Additionally, the importance of discriminating specific peer memories from more general recall of peer memories, was discussed within this context, as well as an important consideration for future research. |