To investigate how values influence parenting beliefs and practices, a test was made of Kohn's hypothesis that parents valuing self-direction emphasize the supportive function of parenting, while parents valuing conformity emphasize control of unsanctioned behaviors. Participating in the study were 65 mother-infant dyads. Infants ranged in age from 9 to 23 months, with a mean age of 15 months. Mothers ranged in age from 18 to 39 years, with a mean age of 26 years. Families were heterogeneous with regard to social class, as measured by maternal education, family income, and occupational prestige of mothers and of fathers. Behavioral indicators of parental support used in the study were the total score for the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), a global rating scale on maternal warmth, and a scale rating the extent to which mothers read to their children. Behavioral indicators of constraint were subscale 2 of the HOME, a self-report measure of the number of times the mother spanked her child in the week prior to the interview, and a count of the number of times the mother restricted the child's actions or movements during the first hour of the home interview. Results were consistent with Kohn's hypothesis. (RH)