| dc.description.abstract | This study investigated the influence of warmth/support, positive discipline and negative control provided by fathers and mothers on internalizing and externalizing problem behavior of 4-to-6 year olds. A total of 91 fathers and 236 mothers participated in the study, of which 58 reported on the same child. The parenting dimensions were assessed with the Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Questionnaire (CECPAQ; Verhoeven, van Baar, Deković, & Bodden, 2010) and problem behavior was assessed with the Child Behavior CheckList 1,5 – 5 years (CBCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). The results show that warmth/support and negative control of parents significantly influence internalizing as well as externalizing problems of the child. Only for warmth/support there is a significant differences between fathers and mothers, mothers seem to score higher than fathers. Finally aimed at internalizing problem behavior, warmth/support offered by mothers and negative control offered by fathers have a stronger influence than warmth/support offered by fathers and negative control offered by mothers. There are no differences in strength of effect between the offered positive discipline of fathers and mothers. Focused on externalizing problem behavior, positive discipline and negative control offered by fathers have a stronger influence than positive discipline and negative control offered by mothers. There are no differences in strength of effect between the offered warmth/support between fathers and mothers. The results of this research are important to science and for helping families. Future studies should examine the influence of the sex of the child, the impact of the child on parenting behavior using longitudinal designs with random samples. | |
