The role of parental perceived control in child development: A longitudinal study

Abstract

The study investigated the role of parental perceived control in child development. A discussion of the conceptual bases of two parental locus-of-control scales led to differential predictions as regards their relations with parent experiences during infancy and child problems and competencies at 4 and 9 years. The Parental Control of Child’s Behaviour scale was suggested to measure perceived control and to be related to infancy factors and child outcomes. The Parental Responsibility scale was tentatively seen as measuring a stereotypic view, and associations with infancy aspects and child outcomes were not predicted. In a normal longitudinal sample of 103 families, mothers’ and fathers’ control ratings were obtained at ages 33 months and 9 years. In contrast to parental responsibility ratings, parental control ratings were predicted by child difficultness and parental adaptation during infancy, and more perceived control was associated with fewer problems and more competence both longitudinally and concurrently. Both fathers’ and mothers’ perceived control was important. It was further concluded that the Parental Control scale could function as a psychometrically adequate measure of how parents perceive their actual control in the rearing situation.

A Study of the Relationship of Academic Achievement and Impulsivity in Children with Specifi c Learning Disabilities to Parenting Strain and Sense of Competence in their Mothers

“…One recent study found that self-effi cacy mediated the effects of child behavior problems on anxiety and depression in mothers of children with special needs (Hastings & Brown 2002). Other studies (Hagekull 2001;Wiggs & Stores 2001) on the sense of control parents have shown that low personal control is associated with higher parenting stress and psychological distress. Weiss et al (2013) found perceived self-effi cacy and social support mediated the link between the pile-up of stressors and family hardiness, and that hardiness was a partial mediator in explaining how stressors were associated with family distress.…”

Predicting Treatment Success in Child and Parent Therapy Among Families in Poverty

“…Negative parent-referent attributions have been linked to unsatisfying parenting experiences (Hageskull, Bohlin, & Hammarberg, 2001), childhood behavior problems (Hageskull et al, 2001;Johnston, Hommersen, Seipp, 2009), and more authoritarian or permissive styles of parenting (Leung & Slep, 2006).…”

Predictors of middle childhood psychosomatic problems: An emotion regulation approach

“…Furthermore, low perceived control has been connected to coercive and authoritarian caregiving behaviours (Bugental et al, 1989), behaviours that presumably do not exert a positive influence on the child's developing emotion regulation. Low parental perceived control has also been associated with high levels of child externalizing and internalizing behaviour problems both concurrently and prospectively (Campis et al, 1986;Hagekull et al, 2001;Janssens, 1994). These results point to low parental perceived control as an important factor contributing in the development of child problems.…”

“…The concept of perceived control refers to a person's beliefs about how much control is available (Skinner, 1996); it taps the subjective experience rather than the actual degree of control. More infant negative emotionality predicted low parental perceived control in the preschool age (Hagekull et al, 2001). Furthermore, low perceived control has been connected to coercive and authoritarian caregiving behaviours (Bugental et al, 1989), behaviours that presumably do not exert a positive influence on the child's developing emotion regulation.…”