Parenting Perceptions, Beliefs, and Early Childhood Social-Emotional Outcomes

Samantha Baca, Pace University

Abstract

Understanding parenting beliefs, perceptions, roles, and the resulting behaviors that parents adopt, particularly during the early childhood years, is essential in understanding the influence of parenting values on the development of early childhood social-emotional outcomes. Using the Parent Development Theory (Mowder, 2005), the current study aims to assess a variety of positive and negative parenting characteristics and their relationship to the social-emotional and behavioral outcomes in toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners (ages 2 through 5). Furthermore, given the universal experience of stress that may emerge during the transition into parenthood, this study also examines the hypothesized influential role that parenting stress may have on the development of parenting beliefs and resulting early childhood outcomes. Overall, the current study aims to (1) examine the relationship between parenting beliefs and early childhood social-emotional outcomes as perceived by parents and (2) examine the role and relationship of parenting stress on parenting beliefs and early childhood social-emotional and behavioral outcomes. There are many implications for this study, ranging from further deepening the parenting literature to assisting clinicians in the development of parenting programs to support emerging parenting beliefs, identities, and behaviors. Thus, by carefully attending to the parental role, reflecting on the development of positive parenting perceptions, and reducing parenting stress, profound changes in parenting behaviors may help promote adaptive social-emotional development of young children.

Subject Area

Psychology|Behavioral psychology

Recommended Citation

Baca, Samantha, "Parenting Perceptions, Beliefs, and Early Childhood Social-Emotional Outcomes" (2020). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI28595102.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI28595102

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