Keywords

children, coparenting, parental satisfaction, families, coparent support

Abstract

To examine the interplay among shared parenting, coparent support, parental satisfaction, and child behavior problems, the current study examines the responses of mothers and fathers who have children between the ages of 3- and 6-years. As part of this study, 107 parents (i.e., 80 mothers and 27 fathers) completed a questionnaire packet including measures of coparenting, parental satisfaction, and child behavior problems. Results are examined using correlational and hierarchical regression analyses. Correlational analyses suggest that coparent support and parental satisfaction are related positively and that coparent support and parental satisfaction are related negatively with children's behavior problems. Unique relationships are found in this study when examining overt supportive behaviors versus perceptions of coparent support, suggesting the importance of examining these constructs separately in relation to parental satisfaction and children's behavior. Hierarchical regression analyses reveal that, when coparent support measures are examined as different constructs, coparent support and parental satisfaction contribute uniquely to the prediction of children's emotional and behavioral functioning. These findings highlight the connection between coparent support and parental satisfaction as well as the importance of each in predicting outcomes for children, regardless of how evenly two parents divide childcare responsibilities. These findings also contribute to the literature by suggesting the importance of examining perceptions of support and overt supportive behavior separately. It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide valuable information for potential targets of parenting interventions provided to mothers and fathers in mental health facilities.

Notes

If this is your thesis or dissertation, and want to learn how to access it or for more information about readership statistics, contact us at STARS@ucf.edu

Graduation Date

2009

Advisor

Renk, Kimberly

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree Program

Psychology Clinical

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0002784

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0002784

Language

English

Release Date

July 2010

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Download

Share

COinS