Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to examine direct effects of maternal childhood attachment and paternal involvement on parenting behavior, and indirect effects through maternal parenting efficacy. Methods: A total of 310 participants, mothers of 6-to 15-month-old infants, responded to questionnaires, which included items related to maternal childhood attachment, paternal involvement, maternal parenting efficacy, and parenting behavior. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The major findings of the study were summarized as follows: First, maternal childhood attachment and paternal involvement had direct effects on maternal parenting behavior. Second, maternal childhood attachment and paternal involvement had indirect effects on parenting behavior through maternal parenting efficacy. Conclusions: This study reveals the importance of maternal childhood attachment and paternal involvement, and maternal parenting efficacy in increasing maternal sensitivity and positive parenting behaviors. It emphasizes the relative effects of maternal parenting efficacy on parenting behavior. The results of this study offer the foundation in designing parenting education programs for parents with infants in order to enhance maternal parenting behavior.
The present study employed a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design model in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Respected Parents & Respected Children (RPRC) parent education program for mothers of early school-age children. Ninety mothers were randomly assigned to an intervention (n =45) group or a control group (n = 45). Mothers in the intervention group participated in 8 weekly sessions of the parent education program. After the termination of the program, the differences between pretest and posttest were analyzed in terms of both maternal parenting characteristics (i.e., parenting behavior, parenting efficacy, parenting stress, and co-parenting) and children's social competence. The results indicated that only in the intervention group, self-reported positive parenting characteristics were significantly improved and negative parenting characteristics were significantly decreased. There were no significant effects of the program on children's social competence as rated by the mothers. These findings suggest that the RPRC parent education program is effective in changing parenting characteristics known as crucial predictors of child outcomes.
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