Poster #221 - Differential Effects of Mothers’ and Fathers’ Parenting Self-Efficacy on Peer-Related Parenting and Adolescent Peer Adjustment

• In Event: 1-061 - Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) is beneficial for child development in general (Jones & Prinz, 2005), with some evidence of distinct contributions of mothers’ and fathers’ PSE to their parenting practices and young children’s behavioral problems (Murdock, 2013). Yet, the contributions of both mothers’ and fathers’ PSE over time, particularly during adolescence, is relatively understudied. Further, the examination of domain-specific PSE may provide a greater understanding of parenting behaviors and youth adjustment within a given domain of youth development (e.g., social, behavioral, academic). Extending the existing literature, the present study investigated the effects of both mothers’ and fathers’ PSE in the social domain on (1) parents’ peer-related parenting behaviors (i.e., friendship facilitation, advice-giving in response to peer challenges) and (2) adolescent peer adjustment (i.e., friendship quality, friends’ prosocial characteristics, peer victimization, social status) over time.

Participants included 52 mother-adolescent dyads (56% boys; 94% biological mothers; adolescent Mage = 11.06 years, SD = .31; 38% ethnic minorities), 37 fathers (86% of two-parent families), and teachers (75% participated) who are part of an ongoing longitudinal study. At Time 1 (T1), mothers and fathers each reported their sense of self-efficacy regarding adolescent peer socialization (Coleman & Karraker, 2000). At both T1 and T2, parents completed the Friendship Facilitation Questionnaire (i.e., enable proximity to peers, encourage activity with peers; Vernberg et al., 1993) and reported on the extent to which they would provide engaged (e.g., problem-solving, help-seeking) or self-reliant (e.g., managing problems on own) suggestions in response to three hypothetical peer problem scenarios (i.e., exclusion, victimization, meeting new peers). Adolescents reported on friendship quality (Parker & Asher, 1993) and friends’ prosociality (e.g., Dishion et al., 1991). Teachers reported on adolescent peer victimization (Crick & Grotpeter, 1996) and social status (higher scores = lower social status; Rudolph & Clark, 2001). All measures were reliable (αs range .77-.95).

Results from longitudinal regression analyses (Tables 1 and 2) revealed that for mothers’, higher self-efficacy predicted increases in self-reliant advice, as well as increases in adolescents’ friendship quality and friends’ prosociality. Mothers’ PSE also predicted decreases in peer victimization and lower social status over time. For fathers’, higher self-efficacy predicted increases in friendship facilitation behaviors and engaged advice, as well as increases in friends’ prosociality and decreases in lower social status over time.

Findings suggest that fathers’ PSE significantly contributed to the extent to which they engage in active peer-related parenting behaviors over time, whereas fewer direct associations emerged for mothers. Given some evidence of mothers’ greater involvement in caretaking and socialization, it may be less likely that mothers’ confidence in parenting would predict greater change in peer-related parenting behaviors, with the exception of self-reliant advice. Mothers’ with high PSE may better recognize the need to support autonomy during early adolescence. Further, mothers’ PSE promoted more positive peer adjustment, perhaps via modeling of social skills/interactions, with fewer direct associations emerging for fathers. Overall, findings from the present study highlight the somewhat differential contributions of mothers’ and fathers’ PSE to parenting behaviors and adolescent outcomes within the social domain.

Authors

• Xiaomei Li, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author

• Kelly M Tu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Non-Presenting Author