The purpose of the current study is to understand the relation between couple relationship quality, parent adjustment (stress and efficacy), and parenting quality. The study consisted of 169 heterosexual couples expecting the birth of their first child at the time of recruitment. At six months after birth, participants completed in-home questionnaires and engaged in videotaped interactions to assess behaviors and feelings related to the couple relationship, parenting adjustment, and parenting.
The four aims of this study are to: (1) understand the relationship between the marital relationship and parenting self-efficacy, (2) understand the relationship between parental self-efficacy and style of parenting, (3) understand the relationship between parenting stress and parenting quality, and (4) understand the relationship between a mother and father’s experience involving the marital relationship, parenting quality, and parenting stress.
Correlations were run to understand the relationship between the four major variables.
Results indicate a significant relationship between marital quality and parental self-efficacy. In addition, results found a significant relationship between parental self-efficacy and style of parenting (overreactivity and laxness). Third, results found a significant relationship between parenting stress and parenting quality (overreactivity). Finally, results showed significant relationships between mother and father ratings of all three variables.
