Adolescents’ Behaviors as Moderators for the Link between Parental Self-Efficacy and Parenting Practices

Abstract

Based on theory that parents with higher levels of self-efficacy (PSE) should find it easier to parent effectively in the face of challenging child behaviors than should parents with lower levels of PSE, this study examines the link between PSE and parenting using children’s behaviors as potential moderators. Participants were 130 parents who had an older adolescent (M age = 17.58) in addition to the target adolescent (M age = 11.79), and both adolescents’ externalizing behaviors were used as moderators for the link between PSE and parenting of the target adolescent. Path analysis in Mplus showed that higher PSE was linked to more promotive parenting but only among parents who had an older adolescent with lower levels of externalizing behaviors. Among parents of adolescents with higher levels of externalizing behaviors, whose promotive parenting was significantly lower than other parents overall, PSE did not predict promotive parenting. The link between PSE and parenting did not differ depending on the target adolescents’ behavior. Findings suggest that the link between parents’ beliefs and parenting depends on the broader family context. More specifically, how PSE is linked to parenting practices depends at least partly on the experiences that parents bring from parenting an older adolescent to their interactions with a later-born adolescent. From a clinical perspective, parents might need guidance in how to think about their earlier parenting experiences when parenting a younger adolescent.

Hostile Interactions in the Family: Patterns and Links to Youth Externalizing Problems

“…Relationships with other family members, such as siblings, were not available to be included here, but, if included, might have shed additional light on patterns of hostility in families. For example, parents tend to differ in their parenting of children in the same family (e.g., Glatz, Cotter, & Buchanan, 2017; Glatz & Stattin, 2013; Whiteman, McHale, & Crouter, 2003), and it is possible that the interactions captured by the triadic family conflict task were not indicative of a general parental interaction style that would be the same across multiple children. In addition, sibling relationships are important for youth’s social and behavioral development, and hostile sibling interactions can spill over to hostility in peer relationships (e.g., Feinberg, Solmeyer, & McHale, 2012; Glatz, Källström, Hellfeldt, & Thunberg, in press; McHale, Whiteman, Kim, & Crouter, 2007; Patterson, DeBaryshe, & Ramsey, 1990).…”

Development and feasibility of Mandarin‐language bone health scales for adolescents with cancer in Taiwan

“…Parents’ self‐efficacy and beliefs could affect the behaviors of their adolescent children with cancer in a positive way (Bandura, ). Self‐efficacy regarding physical activity among family childcare providers is positively associated with time provided for children's physical activity (Figueroa & Wiley, ), and higher levels of parental self‐efficacy is associated with lower levels of difficult behaviors among adolescents (Glatz, Cotter, & Buchanan, ). These findings suggest that parental self‐efficacy, in addition to that of adolescent patients themselves, might be an appropriate target for intervention.…”

Mama Mach and Papa Mach: Parental Machiavellianism in relation to dyadic coparenting and adolescents’ perception of parental behaviour

“…In consequence, more mature mothers reported less sleep-related problems for their toddlers. Glatz, Cotter, and Buchanan (2017) found that parental self-efficacy predicted promotive (i.e., positive and involved) parenting in parents of adolescents. Parental self-efficacy can be considered as a form of internal locus of control which in turn is an indicator of psychological maturity.…”