Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Parenting Stress and Parental Efficacy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Parental Stress and Early Child Development

Abstract

This chapter addresses the dynamic, reciprocal, and transactional relations between the experience of parenting stress and parent’s sense of self-efficacy. Taking a broad perspective on self-efficacy, we examine the complex links between parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy as predictor, mediator, and consequence of parenting stress. Although the evidence for adverse influence is compelling regardless of direction of effect, many questions and issues remain to be addressed in the way parenting stress processes operate within the family. Emphasis is placed on the need to consider parenting stress from more developmental and systemic perspectives, and a model is proposed to capture more of the systemic complexity involved. The chapter focuses on the mechanisms through which parenting stress may influence and be influenced by broader parenting perspectives, including coparenting processes and potential differences between mothers and fathers. Directions for future research are offered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abidin, R. R. (1992). The determinants of parenting behavior. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21, 407–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abidin, R. R. (1995). The parenting stress index professional manual. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almeida, D. M., Wethington, E., & Chandler, A. L. (1999). Daily transmission of tensions between marital dyads and parent–child dyads. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(1), 49-61. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.2307/353882

  • Anthony, L. G., Anthony, B. J., Glanville, D. N., Naiman, D. Q., Waanders, C., & Shaffer, S. (2005). The relationships between parenting stress, parenting behaviour and preschoolers’ social competence and behaviour problems in the classroom. Infant and Child Development, 14(2), 133–154. doi:10.1002/icd.385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance use. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 11, 56–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bronte-Tinkew, J., Horowitz, A., & Carrano, J. (2010). Aggravation and stress in parenting: Associations with coparenting and father engagement among resident fathers. Journal of Family Issues, 31(4), 525–555. doi:10.1177/0192513X09340147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, B., & Bradley, R. (1984). Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment. Little Rock, AR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassells, R.C. & Evans, G.W.  (Chapter 2, this volume).  Ethnic variation in poverty and parenting stress.  In K. Deater-Deckard & R. Panneton (Eds.), Parental Stress and Child Development: Adaptive and Maladaptive Outcomes.  NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, Y., Fine, M. A., Ispa, J., Thornburg, K. R., Sharp, E., & Wolfenstein, M. (2004). Understanding parenting stress among young, low-income, african-american, first-time mothers. Early Education and Development, 15(3), 265–282. doi:10.1207/s15566935eed1503_2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheah, C. S. L., Leung, C. Y. Y., Tahseen, M., & Schultz, D. (2009). Authoritative parenting among immigrant Chinese mothers of preschoolers. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(3), 311–320. doi:10.1037/a0015076

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Crockenberg, S., & Covey, S. L. (1991). Marital Conflict and Externalizing Behavior in Children. In D. Cicchetti, & S. L. Toth (Eds.), Rochester symposium on developmental psychopathology, 3, (pp. 235–260). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crnic, K. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (1990). Minor parenting stresses with young children. Child Development, 61, 1628–1637.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crnic, K.A. & Booth, C.  (1991).  Mother and father perceptions of parenting daily hassles across early childhood. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 53, 1042–1050.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crnic, K. A., & Low, C. (2002). Everyday stresses and parenting. In M. Bornstein (Ed.), Handbook of Parenting (2nd ed., Vol. 4, pp. 243–268) Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crnic, K., Gaze, C., & Hoffman, C. (2005). Cumulative parenting stress across the preschool period: Relations to maternal parenting and child behavior at age five. Infant and Child Development, 14, 117–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Goeke-Morey, M., & Raymond, J. (2004). Fathers in Family Context: Effects of marital quality and marital conflict. In M. E. Lamb (Ed.), The role of the father in child development,  (4th ed., pp. 196–221). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deater-Deckard, K. (1998). Parenting stress and child adjustment: Some old hypotheses and new questions. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 5(3), 314–332.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deater-Deckard, K. (2004). Parenting stress. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Deater-Deckard, K., & Scarr, S. (1996). Parenting stress among dual-earner mothers and fathers: Are there gender differences? Journal of Family Psychology, 10(1), 45–59. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.10.1.45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deater-Deckard, K., Pinkerton, R., & Scarr, S. (1996). Child care quality and children’s behavioral adjustment: A four-year longitudinal study. Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, 37(8), 937–948.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deater-Deckard, K., Smith, J., Ivy, L., & Petril, S. A. (2005). Differential perceptions of and feelings about sibling children: Implications for research on parenting stress. Infant and Child Development, 14(2), 211–225. doi:10.1002/icd.389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delvecchio, E., Sciandra, A., Finos, L., Mazzeschi, C., & Di Riso, D. (2015). The role of co-parenting alliance as a mediator between trait anxiety, family system maladjustment, and parenting stress in a sample of non-clinical italian parents. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. P., & Shrout, P. E. (1985). “Hassles” in the conceptualization and measurement of life stress variables. American Psychologist, 40(7), 780–785. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1037/0003-066X.40.7.780

  • Dunninga, M. J., & Giallo, R. (2012). Fatigue, parenting stress, self-efficacy and satisfaction in mothers of infants and young children. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 30(2), 145–159. doi:10.1080/02646838.2012.693910

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, H., Wang, M., & Xing, X. (2012). Relationship between parenting stress and harsh discipline in preschoolers’ parents. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 20(6), 835–838.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feinberg, M. E. (2003). The internal structure and ecological context of coparenting: A framework for research and intervention. Parenting: Science and Practice, 3(2), 95–131. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1207/S15327922PAR0302_01

  • Feinberg, M. E., Kan, M. L., & Hetherington, E. M. (2007). The longitudinal influence of coparenting conflict on parental negativity and adolescent maladjustment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(3), 687–702. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00400.x

  • Feinberg, M. E., Jones, D. E., Kan, M. L., & Goslin, M. C. (2010). Effects of family foundations on parents and children: 3.5 years after baseline. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(5), 532–542. doi:10.1037/a0020837

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gable, S., Crnic, K., & Belsky, J. (1994). Coparenting within the family system: Influences on children’s development. Family Relations, 43, 380–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerstein, E., Crnic, K., Blacher, J., & Baker, B. (2009). Resilience and the course of daily parenting stress in families of young children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities Research, 53, 981–997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerstein, E. D., & Poehlmann-Tynan, J. (2015). Transactional processes in children born preterm: Influences of mother–child interactions and parenting stress. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(5), 777–787. doi:10.1037/fam0000119

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Glatz, T., & Buchanan, C. M. (2015). Change and predictors of change in parental self-efficacy from early to middle adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 51(10), 1367–1379. doi:10.1037/dev0000035

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, P. H., Edwards, D. M., O’Callaghan, M. J., & Cuskelly, M. (2012). Parenting stress in mothers of preterm infants during early infancy. Early Human Development, 88, 45–49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harden, B. J., Denmark, N., Holmes, A., & Duchene, M. (2014). Detached parenting and toddler problem behavior in early head start families. Infant Mental Health Journal, 35(6), 529–543. doi:10.1002/imhj.21476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, A. P., & Huang, C. C. (2000). Parenting stress and behavior among single mothers of preschoolers: The mediating role of self-efficacy. Journal of Social Service Research, 26 (4), 29–42. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1300/J079v26n04_02

  • Jones, T. L., & Prinz, R. J. (2005). Potential roles of parental self-efficacy in parent and child adjustment: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 25(3), 341–363. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2004.12.004

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, L. F., & Gottman, J. M. (1996). Spillover effects of marital conflict: In search of parenting and coparenting mechanisms. In J. P. McHale, & P. A. Cowan (Eds.), Understanding how family-level dynamics affect children’s development: Studies of two-parent families (pp. 57–76, 112 Pages). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, M. E., (2010). How do fathers influence children’s development? Let me count the ways. The role of the father in child development (5th ed., pp. 1–26) Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamis, D. A., Wilson, C. K., Tarantino, N., Lansford, J. E., & Kaslow, N. J. (2014). Neighborhood disorder, spiritual well-being, and parenting stress in african american women. Journal of Family Psychology, 28(6), 769–778. doi:10.1037/a0036373

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Leahy-Warren, P., & McCarthy, G. (2011). Maternal parental self-efficacy in the postpartum period. Midwifery, 27, 802–810. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2010.07.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mackler, J. S., Kelleher, R. T., Shanahan, L., Calkins, S. D., Keane, S. P., & O’Brien, M. (2015). Parenting stress, parental reactions, and externalizing behavior from ages 4 to 10. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(2), 388–406. doi:10.1111/jomf.12163

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • McQullian, M.E. & Bates, J.E. (Chapter 4, this volume).  Parental stress and child development.  In K. Deater-Deckard & R. Pannenton (Eds.), Parental Stress and Child Development: Adaptive and Maladaptive Outcomes.  NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merrifield, K. A., & Gamble, W. C. (2013). Associations among marital qualities, supportive and undermining coparenting, and parenting self-efficacy: Testing spillover and stress-buffering processes. Journal of Family Issues, 34(4), 510–533. doi:10.1177/0192513X12445561

  • Mills-Koonce, W., Appleyard, K., Barnett, M., Deng, M., Putallaz, M., & Cox, M. (2011). Adult attachment style and stress as risk factors for early maternal sensitivity and negativity. Infant Mental Health Journal, 32(3), 277–285. doi:10.1002/imhj.20296

  • Minuchin, S., Rosman, B.L., & Baker, L.  (1978) Psychosomatic Families: Anorexia Nervosa in Context.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neece, C.L. & Chan, N. (Chapter 5, this volume).  The stress of parenting children with developmental disabilities.  In K. Deater-Deckard & R. Panneton (Eds.), Parental Stress and Child Development: Adaptive and Maladaptive Outcomes.  NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nygren, M., Carstensen, J., Ludvigsson, J., & Frostell, A. S. (2012). Adult attachment and parenting stress among parents of toddlers. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 30(3), 289–302. doi:10.1080/02646838.2012.717264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Neil, J., Wilson, M. N., Shaw, D. S., & Dishion, T. J. (2009). The relationship between parental efficacy and depressive symptoms in a diverse sample of low income mothers. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18(6), 643–652. doi:10.1007/s10826-009-9265-y

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Östberg, M., Hagekull, B., & Wettergren, S. (1997). A measure of parental stress in mothers with small children: Dimensionality, stability and validity. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 38(3), 199–208.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pleck, J. H. (2012). Integrating father involvement in parenting research. Parenting: Science and Practice, 12(2-3), 243–253. doi:10.1080/15295192.2012.683365

  • Ponnet, K., Mortelmans, D., Wouters, E., Van Leeuwen, K., Bastaits, K., & Pasteels, I. (2013). Parenting stress and marital relationship as determinants of mothers’ and fathers’ parenting. Personal Relationships, 20(2), 259–276. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2012.01404.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pripp, A. H., Skreden, M., Skari, H., Malt, U., & Emblem, R. (2010). Underlying correlation structures of parental stress, general health and anxiety. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 473–479.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Putnick, D. L., Bornstein, M. H., Hendricks, C., Painter, K. M., Suwalsky, J. T. D., & Collins, W. A. (2010). Stability, continuity, and similarity of parenting stress in european american mothers and fathers across their child’s transition to adolescence. Parenting: Science and Practice, 10(1), 60–77. doi:10.1080/15295190903014638

  • Reece, S.M. & Harkless, G. (1998).  Self-Efficacy, Stress, and Parental Adaptation: Applications to the Care of Childbearing Families.  Journal of Family Nursing, 4(2), 198–215. doi:10.1177/107484079800400206

  • Reitman, D., Currier, R. O., & Stickle, T. R. (2002). A critical evaluation of the parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) in a head start population. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31(3), 384–392. doi:10.1207/153744202760082649

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, M., & Neece, C. L. (2015). Marital satisfaction, parental stress, and child behavior problems among parents of young children with developmental delays. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 8(1), 23–46. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1080/19315864.2014.994247

  • Scheel, M. J., & Rieckmann, T. (1998). An empirically derived description of self-efficacy and empowerment for parents of children identified as psychologically disordered. American Journal of Family Therapy, 26(1), 15–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoppe-Sullivan, S., Settle, T., Lee, J., & Kamp Dush, C. M. (2016). Supportive coparenting relationships as a haven of psychological safety at the transition to parenthood. Research in Human Development, 13(1), 32–48. doi:10.1080/15427609.2016.1141281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sevigny, P. R., & Loutzenhiser, L. (2010). Predictors of parenting self-efficacy in mothers and fathers of toddlers. Child: Care, Health and Development, 36(2), 179–189. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00980.x

  • Shea, S. E., & Coyne, L. W. (2011). Maternal dysphoric mood, stress, and parenting practices in mothers of head start preschoolers: The role of experiential avoidance. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 33(3), 231–247. doi:10.1080/07317107.2011.596004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shumow, L., & Lomax, R. (2002). Parental efficacy: Predictor of parenting behavior and adolescent outcomes. Parenting, Science and Practice, 2, 127–150. doi:10.1207/S15327922PAR0202_03

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skreden, M., Skari, H., Malt, U. F., Pripp, A. H., Björk, M. D., Faugli, A., et al. (2012). Parenting stress and emotional wellbeing in mothers and fathers of preschool children. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 40(7), 596–604. doi:10.1177/1403494812460347

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Solmeyer, A. R., & Feinberg, M. E. (2011). Mother and father adjustment during early parenthood: The roles of infant temperament and coparenting relationship quality. Infant Behavior & Development, 34(4), 504–514. doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2011.07.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli, M., Poehlmann, J., & Bolt, D. (2013). Predictors of parenting stress trajectories in premature infant–mother dyads. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(6), 873–883. doi:10.1037/a0034652

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Teti, D. M., & Gelfand, D. M. (1991). Behavioral competence among mothers of infants in the first year: The mediational role of maternal self-efficacy. Child Development, 62, 918–929. doi:10.2307/1131143

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thomason, E., Volling, B. L., Flynn, H. A., McDonough, S. C., Marcus, S. M., Lopez, J. F., et al. (2014). Parenting stress and depressive symptoms in postpartum mothers: Bidirectional or unidirectional effects? Infant Behavior & Development, 37(3), 406–415. doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.05.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, C. M., Shaw, D. S., Dishion, T. J., & Wilson, M. N. (2008). Parenting self-efficacy and problem behavior in children at high risk for early conduct problems: The mediating role of maternal depression. Infant Behavior & Development, 31(4), 594–605. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1016/j.infbeh.2008.07.006

  • Williford, A. P., Calkins, S. D., & Keane, S. P. (2007). Predicting change in parenting stress across early childhood: Child and maternal factors. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35(2), 251–263. doi:10.1007/s10802-006-9082-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Keith Crnic & Emily Ross

Authors
  1. Keith Crnic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emily Ross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keith Crnic .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    Kirby Deater-Deckard

  2. Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

    Robin Panneton

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Crnic, K., Ross, E. (2017). Parenting Stress and Parental Efficacy. In: Deater-Deckard, K., Panneton, R. (eds) Parental Stress and Early Child Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55376-4_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation