Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 43 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-36).

One of the most challenging aspects of being a parent is managing the many emotions that are aroused in the context of caring for a child. This dissertation explores the relationships among self-compassion, affective distress, parenting self-efficacy, and negative parenting behaviors in a sample of mothers of preschool-aged children (n = 139). Participants completed several self-report measures on-line including the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC), and the Parenting Scale (PS). Higher levels of self-compassion were associated with fewer negative parenting behaviors and higher levels of parenting satisfaction. Initial data analyses revealed the relationship between self-compassion and negative parenting behaviors was partially mediated by affective distress and parenting self-efficacy. However, when lax and overreactive parenting behaviors were examined separately, only overreactive parenting behaviors were significantly related to self-compassion. Self-efficacy---but not negative affect---continued to partially mediate this relationship. The results of the study suggest that self-compassion, as a way of being and as a strategy of emotion regulation, is an asset when facing the challenges and emotional tide of parenting. Limitations of the study and future areas of research are discussed. / text

Parenting self-efficacy is an important construct in understanding parents' choices about their child-rearing. Associations between marital and coparenting relationships have been established in prior research. Most of these studies used global assessments of marital quality, marital satisfaction, or measures of conflict to predict to the quality of the coparenting relationship. The present study is unique in that it utilizes multiple dimensions of marital quality, including satisfaction, maintenance strategies, and conflict, to examine the associations between marriage, coparenting, and parenting self-efficacy. These associations were explored using the Family Systems framework, comparing the explanatory power of the additive and compensatory processes. Of the marital quality indices, maintenance was the strongest, most consistent predictor of parenting cognitions for mothers and fathers, predicting to both parenting self-efficacy and meta-parenting. Mothers' reports of marital satisfaction were negatively associated with their, and their partner's, parenting self-efficacy. Undermining coparenting was predictive of parenting self-efficacy for mothers and fathers, but only predictive of meta-parenting for mothers. There was evidence supporting positive additive effects of marriage and coparenting on parenting self-efficacy. Maintenance for mothers, and marital satisfaction for fathers, combined with supportive coparenting to predict to even greater parenting self-efficacy. There was also support for the compensatory effect of marital quality on parenting self-efficacy for fathers. Fathers reporting higher levels of maintenance in combination with higher levels of undermining coparenting maintained their levels of parenting self-efficacy while fathers reporting lower levels of maintenance also reported less parenting self-efficacy in the face of higher undermining coparenting.

Despite the relatively large number of parents with cancer, relatively little is known about the extent to which having cancer affects the parenting experience. Qualitative studies have identified issues and concerns that create distress among parents with cancer, but quantitative studies have yet to be conducted. Studies demonstrate that parents with cancer experience psychological distress, and that parenting self-efficacy is related to psychological distress among parents without cancer. However, no study to date has examined the relationships between parenting self-efficacy and psychological distress among parents with cancer. This study sought to address these gaps in the literature by comparing parents with cancer to parents without cancer on measures of parenting self-efficacy and psychological distress. It was hypothesized that cancer patients would report lower parenting self-efficacy and higher levels of psychological distress than parents without cancer. This study also sought to explore whether parenting or general self-efficacy mediated the relationship between cancer status and psychological distress. A sample of 57 patients who had been diagnosed with cancer and undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and a control group of 57 parents with no history of cancer were recruited for participation in the study. Patients were recruited during routine outpatient visits or by mail, and controls were recruited using community outreach. Medical record reviews were conducted to assess clinical variables, and participants filled out a standard demographic questionnaire as well as self-report measures of parenting self-efficacy, general self-efficacy, and psychological distress. As hypothesized, results demonstrated that parents with cancer reported less parenting self-efficacy, and more psychological distress than controls (all p-values < .05). Furthermore, findings indicated that both parenting self-efficacy and general self-efficacy mediated the relationship between cancer status and psychological distress. This study fills several gaps in the quantitative literature on parenting with cancer, and suggests that both parenting and general self-efficacy are possible targets for interventions seeking to lessen distress among parents with cancer. Future research should use matched case-control designs to examine longitudinal relationships between parenting self-efficacy and psychological distress, and empirically evaluate interventions aimed at improving parenting and general self-efficacy.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, May, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis focuses on associations between child, parent and family emotional and behavioural adjustment and a variety of challenging experiences. The parenting role has a critical influence on child development and parenting outcomes and its importance is reflected in the content of many parenting interventions. Paper 1 provides a comprehensive literature review of the available measures of parenting self-efficacy. The measures were quality rated for their psychometric and administrative properties. The findings indicated that large numbers of available measures were developed for specific research questions and may often be used in inappropriate circumstances. The measures were clarified so that the details of the sample, content and construct validity, responsiveness and interpretability, and administrative qualities were clear. The theoretical grounding of each of the measures was emphasized and, to overcome the inconsistent and confusing terminology within this paradigm, measures of parenting self-efficacy were distinguished from measures of parenting confidence, competence and self-esteem. The paper offers a timely and comprehensive summary for researchers, clinical psychologists and healthcare professionals. Paper 2 details an investigation into the first use of an international measure in the UK. The International Parenting Survey was used to identify associations between child, parent and family adjustment difficulties, and challenging circumstances, such as childhood illness or disability, parental psychological distress or family socio-economic deprivation. A total of 696 parents, each of at least one child aged between 2- and 12-years-old, completed a series of questionnaires at one time point. The results identified that children’s difficulties are associated with greater emotional and behavioural adjustment difficulties in children, and also implicated certain aspects of the parenting role, including parental psychological distress. The discussion reflects on the use of this measure within a UK sample of parents. Additionally, the clinical implications of the study, its pitfalls and areas of future research are discussed. Paper 3 provides a critical reflection of the research process as a whole and examines the strengths and limitations of Papers 1 and 2. Personal reflections are also provided.

Introduction: Implementing low-intensity interventions, such as group-based parent education and training (PET), is a cost and time effective way of providing early intervention for families and their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Relatively little empirical research demonstrates the effectiveness of parent education and training in this context. Methods: The study aimed to develop and pilot a group-based parent education and training (PET) programme (COMPAS) and determine its appropriateness and acceptability. Secondly, it aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of the programme to improve the communication interaction skills and self-efficacy beliefs of parents of young children with autism. The study followed an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design and used the Replicating Effective Programs (REP) framework. Sixty-one participants took part in the study which consisted of 3 phases. In phase one we developed the programme and teaching materials and activities. In the pre-implementation phase, we collected qualitative and quantitative data via questionnaires from two stakeholder groups (25 parents and 5 autism experts). In the implementation phase, we used a single group pre-test post-test design with 31 parents of children with autism to determine changes in parent-child interaction and parenting self-efficacy. The primary outcome of the implementation phase, parent-child interaction, was measured using the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO), and the secondary outcome, parenting self-efficacy, was measured using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Measuring Instrument (P-SEMI). Results: In the pre-implementation phase, a panel of experts agreed the training content was comprehensive and relevant, and that the manual was user-friendly. After the pilot study parents felt confident that they could use at least one of the strategies taught during everyday routines or play with their child. Results from the implementation phase indicated significant improvement in parenting interactions (p < .05, d = 1.26) and self-efficacy (p < .05, d = 0.35) after the training. Conclusion: We developed and piloted a training programme in a LMIC setting which resulted in increased interaction skills and self-efficacy for parents of young children with autism. This study indicates that brief, group parent education and training in a LMIC is feasible and can be effective in improving parenting skills and feelings of competence.

No description available.

Background: Conduct problems (CPs), a persistent pattern of challenging, oppositional, defiant or aggressive behaviour are a significant concern to educators, families and other professionals. CPs in preschool children are related to poorer educational and social outcomes in addition to a range of behavioural and emotional difficulties. Although there is evidence for hereditary and temperamental influences, parental factors are widely considered to be significant in the development of CPs. Parents experiencing psychological or social distress are considered to be at risk for challenging behaviour in their children. Psychologists and other theorists have suggested several possible reasons for this association. Firstly, it is possible that parents in distress have difficulty managing stress and as a result use harsh, inconsistent or coercive approaches to parenting. Secondly, parents with children who have CPs may be low in parental self efficacy, a consistent belief in their capacity to parent, which leads them to parent ineffectively and inconsistently. A third possibility is that parents in distress struggle to form stable attachments with their children which can lead to later behavioural difficulties. Finally, it is possible that parent’s distress is influenced by external contextual factors which also influence children such as family or social conflict. Studies suggest that training programmes for the parents of preschool children are effective in reducing child behaviour problems. Training approaches are influenced by a combination of psychological theories including behaviourist, social-cognitive, attachment and ecosystemic approaches. There have been many quantitative evaluations supporting the use of parent training programmes (PTPs). However, there has been limited inquiry into the process of PTPs from the perspective of those who attend them. Aims: The first part of this study was designed to evaluate vulnerability factors related to conduct problems; parental self efficacy, stress and child behaviour problems over the course of a community parent training programme designed to help participants to understand and manage the behaviour of young children. The overall research aim was to evaluate the outcomes and process, using different methodologies to address several questions. A realist methodology was applied to evaluating: 1. was there an association between parental stress, parental self efficacy and child behaviour problems at the start of the programme consistent with the established theory? 2. Did the parents attending the course experience higher than expected levels of stress and child behaviour problems? 3. Did quantitative and qualitative data indicate that these vulnerability factors changed over the duration of the course? Finally, an interpretivist methodology was used to explore how parents of young children evaluated as at risk of challenging behaviour described the experience of learning in the programme. Methods: The study utilised a pragmatic approach to evaluation with mixed methods and differing methodologies. At the start of the programme, a cohort of 38 parents agreed to participate in the study prior to the programme and completed self report measures related to parental stress and parental self efficacy. Parents with concerns about the behaviour of a child aged over three also completed a questionnaire relating to child behaviour problems. Of the original cohort, 27 completed self report measures at the end of the programme. 17 parents completed the same measures at a follow up meeting at the Children’s Centre, five to six weeks after the programme was completed. At this meeting 16 parents were interviewed to discuss their experience of the programme and any subsequent changes which had occurred. Results The results of the first part of the evaluation suggested a significant relationship between parental self-efficacy and stress and between stress and child behaviour problems. However, there was no statistical association between self-efficacy and child behaviour problems, as expected. This tentatively indicates that parental self-efficacy is less important in the development of child behaviour problems than has been previously suggested. The analysis of stress data at the start of the programme indicated that the frequency of parents reporting moderate to extremely severe stress was 4.42 times that which would be expected in a typical British cohort. At the start of the programme, frequency of child behaviour problems in the cohort were 5.9 times higher with conduct problems being 9 times what would be expected based on British norms. This suggests that the programme is being accessed by parents whose children are evidencing behaviour problems and, in particular, conduct problems. However, methodological issues are likely to have led to a slight overestimate of relative prevalence of child CPs in the cohort. Results indicated that parents reported significantly increased self efficacy, significantly reduced stress and child behaviour problems, including conduct problems, between the start and end of the programme. Thematic analysis and subsequent content analysis of outcome themes from interviews suggested that the majority of parents interviewed identified changes in parenting behaviour, knowledge, confidence, reduced stress and improved child behaviour as outcomes from the programme. However, changes in the quantitative data were not observed as frequently, reliably or to the same extent in the interview subgroup as they were in the main cohort, suggesting a sampling bias or a discrepancy in findings between methods. The self report data and interviews for all interviewees were then reviewed and interviews with six parents evaluated as having moderate to high stress, social or psychological difficulties and possible child behaviour problems were sampled. These were then re-analysed using a rigorous inductive approach to Thematic Analysis to identify emergent themes relating to the experience of participating and learning through the programme. Six themes emerged from analysis including; Understanding Difficulties, Identifying and Connecting, New Knowledge, Stopping and Thinking, Approach and Interaction and Reconstructing. The Understanding Difficulties theme described the different ways in which parents understood of their difficulties relating to themselves, their children and others which motivated them to attend the programme. The Identifying and Connecting theme described the importance to parents of personal identification with several aspects of the programme in terms of “being understood” in addition to identifying connections with established support, learning objectives and personal development goals. New Knowledge was categorised into three sub-themes of theoretical, practical and contextual. Contextual knowledge was constructed as understanding the experience of other parents, for example, identifying that other parents had similar difficulties. Theoretical knowledge about child behaviour and development encouraged parents to “stop and think” about the reasons for their children’s behaviour. Practical knowledge was constructed as parenting strategies which, when used, helped parents to feel more confident in themselves, more relaxed and more in control. The Stopping and Thinking theme described parents withholding action and considering the motivations for their children’s behaviour or the best approach to interacting with them. Approach and Interaction described changes to the way parents interacted with their children. The parents in question described changed or reconstructed understandings of their children, themselves and their difficulties as a result of participating in the programme. The theoretical implications of analysing the learning experience are that it highlights the importance of personal identification with the course objectives and experience.

Parenting self-efficacy is one factor identified as relevant to parent distress and child therapy outcomes. Theories for parenting self-efficacy suggest parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be at risk for lower parenting self-efficacy than other parents. Parents who have low parenting self-efficacy may then have higher risk for poor treatment outcomes. Previous researchers found inconsistent results related to parenting self-efficacy rates for parents of children with ASD. They suggested the results were due to sample sizes, measurement insensitivitiy, comparison groups, and the limited range of children's ages (Fields, 2006; Meirsschaut, Roeyers, and Warreyn, 2010; Palafox, 2004; and Rutgers et al., 2007). In the current study, the researchers invited 598 parents to complete a series of questionnaires. Participants included the parents of children with ASD (n = 57), Down syndrome (n = 24), ASD and Down syndrome (n = 41), emotional and behavioral disorders (n = 287), and no identified diagnoses (n = 189). The parents who participated were 90.2% female and 84.9% Caucasian. Participants from the ASD, ASD with Down syndrome, and Down syndrome groups lived in higher income households (75.2% above $30,000 annually) than those in the emotional and behavioral disorder group (94.1% below $30,000 annually). The questionnaires asked parents to rate themselves regarding parenting self-efficacy, parent distress, parenting skills, social support, and answered demographic questions. Parents from the diagnostic groups also rated their child's behavior and symptom severity. Parents from the ASD, Down syndrome, and ASD with Down syndrome groups answered additional questions found to be relevant in Fields, 2007 (e.g. age of symptom onset, number of siblings, and parent's age). Parents of children with ASD were found to have the lowest rates of parenting self-efficacy across the five groups. ANOVA rejected the null hypothesis that the groups would be the same (F = 8.24, df = 4, 595, p < .01, adjusted R² = .05). The effect size for the relationship between diagnosis and parenting self-efficacy was small to moderate, accounting for 5% of the variance of parenting self-efficacy scores. Pairwise comparisons between groups found parents of children with ASD to have significantly lower parenting self-efficacy than the Down syndrome (mean difference = -3.32, se = .81, 95% CI = -5.86, -.78), and community groups (mean difference = -2.89, se = .58, 95% CI = -4.47 to -1.31). Parents from the community group were also found to have higher parenting self-efficacy than the parents of children with emotional and behavioral disorders (mean difference = 1.43, se = .37, 95% CI = 1.31, 4.47). Parenting self-efficacy was also related to parent distress, social support, parenting skills, and child's age. Parenting self-efficacy may warrant monitoring in the treatment of ASD and may be an important point of intervention in therapy.