Author:

Keywords:

parenting, marital relationship, parenting stress, Social Sciences, Communication, Family Studies, Psychology, Social, Psychology, ADOLESCENT PROBLEM BEHAVIOR, INTERPARENTAL HOSTILITY, EXTERNALIZING BEHAVIOR, CHILD ADJUSTMENT, DYADIC DATA, CONFLICT, PERCEPTIONS, MEDIATION, MODEL, INTERDEPENDENCE, 1701 Psychology, 2001 Communication and Media Studies, Social Psychology, 5201 Applied and developmental psychology, 5205 Social and personality psychology

Abstract:

Using the actor–partner interdependence model, we explore how various sources of stress and support experienced by fathers and mothers influence their own parenting styles and the parenting styles of the partner. Data from 227 couples were analyzed, with mothers and fathers rating their parenting stress and marital relationship and children rating the parenting styles of both mothers and fathers. Structural equation models revealed actor effects of parenting stress on demanding and responsive parenting styles, as well as partner effects between positive aspects of marital relationship and responsive parenting style. The results further indicate that the strength of these pathways is similar for both mothers and fathers and do not support the hypothesis that the parenting of fathers is more vulnerable than the parenting of mothers.