Lens, Tone, and Bias: A Systematic Review of Parenting Behavior by Race and Ethnicity Group in Early Interaction Studies

For over two decades, researchers have called for strength-based perspectives in socialization research. To date, it is unclear how well other researchers have answered that call. The current study systematically reviewed studies published since 2010 that focused on observed behaviors of parents living in the United States during play interactions with their young child. A total of 47 studies met final inclusion criteria. Methodological information for each study (i.e., ethnic-racial or cultural group inclusion, proportion of white versus people of color) were documented. Additionally, each study was coded based on the negative-, positive-, or neutral-lens used in the study framework or findings. These study features were analyzed to determine 1) if researchers had adopted a positive lens, and 2) if there were certain characteristics of studies that did. Overall, roughly 50% of reviewed studies used a positive- or strength-based lens. We found that when researchers did not include a white comparison group, there was a higher likelihood of positive framing. These findings indicate there is still room for improvement in a more unified adoption of strength-based research.