Parenting, Coparenting, and Effortful Control in Preschoolers

• Published in: Journal of family psychology Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 30 - 40
• Main Authors: Karreman, Annemiek, van Tuijl, Cathy, van Aken, Marcel A. G, Deković, Maja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-02-2008
• Subjects: Adult; Authoritarianism; Biological and medical sciences; Child Behavior - psychology; Child, Preschool; Childrearing Practices; Control; Coparenting; Couple and family; Couples; Dyads; Family Life; Family Relations; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group Dynamics; Human; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Parent Child Relations; Parenting; Parenting - psychology; Parenting Skills; Parenting Style; Parents - psychology; Preschool children; Preschool Students; Principal Component Analysis; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Selfregulation; Social psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Temperament; Netherlands; effortful control; preschoolers; family processes; coparenting; parenting; Human; Preschool age; Parental behavior; Parent child relation; Mother; Social interaction; Cooperation; Family environment; Father; Child
• ISSN: 0893-3200; 1939-1293
• DOI: 10.1037/0893-3200.22.1.30

This study investigated the relations among parenting, coparenting, and effortful control in preschoolers. The sample included 89 families with 2 parents and their firstborn 36-month-old children. Information was obtained by means of observation and parent-report questionnaires. In general, maternal parenting, paternal parenting, and coparenting were related to effortful control. Effortful control was more strongly predicted from parenting and coparenting when the same measurement method (observation or parent reports) was used. For both observation and parent reports, coparenting contributed to effortful control over and above maternal and paternal parenting. The results indicate the importance of adding indicators of triadic family processes to the study of parenting and young children's effortful control.