Multiple Determinants of Parenting: Predicting Individual Differences in Maternal Parenting Behavior with Toddlers

SYNOPSIS

Objective. A comprehensive understanding of individual differences in maternal parenting behaviors cannot be realized without consideration of multiple determinants of parenting within the same study. The goal of the present study was to examine the association of 3 categories of determinants of parenting (i.e., parent personality, contextual sources of stress and support, and child effects) to individual differences in maternal parenting behaviors. Design. Supportive and controlling parenting and child social responsiveness were observed during 2 free-play sessions when toddlers (N = 140) were 30 to 36 months old. Mothers completed questionnaires measuring personality and contextual sources of stress and support. Results. More maternal supportive behaviors were predicted by higher levels of child social responsiveness. More maternal control was associated with lower socioeconomic status, more work outside of the home, more extraversion, and more neuroticism. Conclusions. Because the determinants of parenting that predicted maternal controlling behaviors were different from those that predicted supportive parenting behaviors, examining how multiple determinants of parenting relate to different aspects of parenting behavior is necessary to more fully understand individual difference in parenting behaviors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was supported by a Virginia Tech ASPIRES (A Support Program for Innovative Research Strategies) Award to Cynthia L. Smith. The author expresses appreciation to the parents and toddlers who participated in the study and to Shelley Stewart, Erin Beatty, and the many other research assistants who contributed to this project.

Notes

¹Given the findings for extraversion and neuroticism, it might be possible that these two personality dimensions interact in predicting maternal control; therefore, this possible interactive effect was considered in additional analyses. The extraversion by neuroticism interaction term was not a significant predictor of maternal controlling behavior.

²In the post hoc analyses, the R ² change for the final step that included the maternal personality dimensions was not significant for intrusiveness, ΔF(5, 127) = 1.07, ns, but was significant for directiveness, ΔF(5, 127) = 2.33, p < .05.