The role of parental self-efficacy during the preschool years: Links to parenting behaviors and parent-child relationship quality in dual-risk families

Abstract

Parental self-efficacy (PSE) has been shown to play a critical role in shaping parenting behaviors and parent-child interactions. Examining whether domain-specific PSE like parental self-efficacy helping the child succeed in school (PSEHCSS), influences broad parenting behaviors and parent-child relationships is especially important for families experiencing elevated stress. This secondary analysis explored whether PSEHCSS predicted parenting behaviors and parent-child relationship quality over the preschool years in dual-risk families (i.e., low socioeconomic status and a child with developmental concerns). It was hypothesized that higher PSEHCSS would predict more positive and fewer negative parenting behaviors, and greater parent-child relationship quality; parenting behaviors would predict parent-child relationship quality; and parenting behaviors would mediate the relation between PSEHCSS and relationship quality. PSEHCSS was assessed via a parent self-report; parenting behaviors and parent-child relationship quality were observationally assessed from parent-child interactions while playing games. Regression analyses indicated that positive parenting behaviors predicted greater relationship quality (i.e., higher cooperation and reciprocity), while negative parenting behaviors predicted lower levels of relationship quality (i.e., increased conflict). Proposed cross-lagged panel analyses were not conducted due to non-significant associations between PSEHCSS and parenting behaviors, and relationship quality across time. Exploratory analyses revealed that PSEHCSS predicted parenting behaviors related to learning (i.e., cognitive stimulation, however this was not consistent across time. Results suggest that domain-specific self-efficacy may not generalize to broader parenting behaviors or relationship quality in high-risk contexts. Future research should examine contextual moderators such as raising a child with developmental concerns, and domain alignment between parental beliefs and behavior