The determinants of negative maternal parenting behaviours: maternal, child, and paternal characteristics and their interaction

This study tested Belsky's determinants of parenting, namely maternal characteristics, child characteristics, and contextual issues, namely the mother's perception of the husband as a father, husband, and person. Three hundred and seventy-nine mothers first investigated by Sears, Maccoby, and Levin completed a standardised interview to assess their parenting attitudes and behaviours, as well as their five-year-old child's (202 boys, 177 girls) behaviours. Rejecting mothers had lower maternal self-esteem and higher academic expectations of their children, who showed less conscience and less similarity to the mother, and perceived their husbands as being colder towards the child. Furthermore, mothers with low self-esteem were more rejecting of girls with a difficult temperament, but less rejecting of boys with a difficult temperament. Controlling mothers were more educated and had higher academic expectations for their children, while their children were less likely to dominate their relationship, but only in mothers with low maternal self-esteem. Results partially support Belsky's model of the determinants of parenting.