PREVENTATIVE EFFECTS ON CHILD BEHAVIOR: EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL PARENTING, COPARENTING, AND CHILD BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES WITH FAMILY FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM
Open Access
- Author:
- Schwendeman, Emma Bell
- Area of Honors:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Mark Ethan Feinberg, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Lesley Anne Ross, PhD, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- parenting
coparenting
child behavior
Family Foundations
human development - Abstract:
- The quality of parenting contributes to early childhood development; however, making the transition to parenting can be one of the most challenging times on both the couple and the child. The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of the quality of individual parenting and coparenting on child behavioral patterns, while also taking into account the parent’s distress on this relationship. Furthermore, the study addresses whether the Family Foundations prevention program significantly impacts the intervention group’s parenting techniques and/or child’s behavioral patterns. To answer these questions, a sample of 399 heterosexual couples who were expecting their first child were recruited. The sample was randomly selected into one of two conditions- intervention program or control. Couples assigned to the intervention program attended five classes pre-birth and four classes post-birth to learn coparenting techniques and first-time parenting information provided by local hospitals. The couples in the control condition received materials in the mail that discussed selecting quality child care. Both groups completed questionnaires and recorded home visits 10 months post-birth to gather data on the home life. Based on correlational analyses, the results indicate that general parent distress is associated with parenting techniques and child behavioral patterns. This demonstrates that individual characteristics of the parent can impact the quality of parenting and resulting behavioral patterns of the child. Moreover, both individual parenting and coparenting hold an association with child behavioral patterns. Coparenting demonstrated more significant associations with child behavior than individual parenting did, as expected. Lastly, one-way ANOVA tests found many significant differences between intervention and control groups’ scores on parenting quality variables. These differences validate that Family Foundations program’s purpose in improving coparenting techniques is present.