Parenting goal pursuit is linked to emotional well-being, relationship quality, and responsiveness

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2935337
AutoresBonnie M Le (0000-0002-1857-6716, University of Toronto, autor de correspondencia), Emily Impett (0000-0003-3348-7524, University of Toronto Mississauga)
Año2019
Volumen36
Número3
Páginas879-904
Fecha de publicación2019-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0265407517747417
OpenAlexW2779685482
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas37

The aim of the current research was to identify the goals underlying parental care and how they are linked to parents' sense of emotional well-being, relationship quality, and responsiveness to their child's needs. We examined the link between parenting goals and outcomes through surveying parents cross-sectionally (Studies 1 to 3), in a 10-day daily experience study (Study 4), and by conducting an internal meta-analysis of all four studies ( N total = 1,906). In Studies 1 and 2, parents were found to pursue four unique goals as captured by a new scale called the Parenting Goals Scale (PGS). The PGS measures the four goals of child love and security, child development, parent image, and child acceptance. In Study 3, each of the four goals was found to be meaningfully related to, while also being distinct from, other individual differences in parenting styles, other-focused orientations, self-focused orientations, and attachment styles. In a 10-day daily experience study (Study 4) as well as an internal meta-analysis across all four studies, each goal was found to be uniquely related to parents' emotional well-being, relationship quality with their child, and feelings of responsiveness to their child's needs. Daily and chronic pursuit of child love and security goals predicted greater emotional well-being, relationship quality, and responsiveness. In contrast, daily and chronic pursuit of parent image goals predicted poorer emotional well-being, relationship quality, and responsiveness, especially at the chronic level. Child development goals predicted poorer emotional well-being and relationship quality, especially at the chronic level. And finally, child acceptance goals predicted more positive emotions in daily life only. These associations largely held after controlling for parents' reports of children's mood and care difficulty. The current findings contribute to a growing body of research focused on understanding the joys and frustrations of parenting

Developmental psychology · Emotional security · Emotional well-being · Feeling · Goal pursuit · Parenting styles · Psychotherapist · Quality (philosophy · Scale (ratio · Well-being · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Family Support in Illness · Psychology · Social Psychology