In this attempt to explain parental discipline behaviors from an interactionist viewpoint that includes person and situation factors, the relationship of parental discipline behaviors to situation-specific feelings and cognitions and objective situational characteristics were examined. Data obtained from 300 families included (1) social demographic variables; (2) parental reactions, feelings, and cognitions in discipline situations; (3) family structure and climate; and (4) parental child rearing value orientations. Two main patterns of discipline reactions were found. A power-assertive pattern was strongly associated with objective situational characteristics. Anger and an apparent lack of understanding of the child's transgression were the two variables most associated with power-assertion. The second pattern of discipline reactions, induction-rejecting, were also strongly associated with objective situational characteristics. With regard to subjective situation-specific feelings and cognitions, a normative orientation in discipline situations was associated with a rejecting pattern of discipline reactions, whereas an instructional-learning orientation was associated with parental induction. (Author/RH)