Planning Styles in Single‐Parent Families

Planning styles, family characteristics, and sociodemographic factors were exam ined in a purposive sample of 203 single parents. Three planning styles emerged: goal‐centered, resource‐centered, and constrained. Both single‐parent mothers and fathers most frequently used a goal‐centered planning style. The resource‐ centered style was used most often by mothers with higher levels of education or who owned homes and by fathers with smaller households who were in lower occupational statuses. Mothers who used a constrained style were younger or in lower occupational statuses. 1986 American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences