The relation between parenting goal and parenting strategy in positive and negative child behavior contexts: An experimental analysis

Parenting research has shown that parents may vary their responses to their child's behavior based on a variety of factors. Two of these factors, parenting goal and the child's behavior (considered the context for the parenting interaction), have been shown to have predictable influences on parenting behavior. Parenting goals fall into three broad categories: Parent-centered (the desire for immediate child compliance and respect for parental authority), child-centered (the desire to teach one's child important lessons and to promote autonomy), and relationship-centered (the desire to maintain a warm and positive relationship with one's child). The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between parenting goals and parenting strategies in different child behavior contexts. The present study measures the extent to which a parent's anticipated use of various parenting strategies is affected by specific child behaviors and parenting goals. Participants for the present study were 98 mothers of children 2 to 11 years of age. Participants were divided into two groups based upon the age of the child for whom questionnaires were completed. The first group included mothers of children age 2 through 5 years, and the second group, mothers of children ages 6 to 11. Results demonstrated significant effects parenting goal and child behavior context, and subtle effects of child age, on the parenting strategies mothers endorsed. Interactions among these three factors were also found. Ideas are presented for extending this line of research and for applying the findings in clinical work with families and children.