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Development and Preliminary Validation of a Parenting Self-Regulation Scale: “Me as a Parent”

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Abstract

Effective parenting self-regulation is purported to promote positive parent and child mental health and behavioural outcomes. This study aimed to develop and validate a brief and easy-to-administer measure of parents’ perceptions of their self-regulation related to parenting. In the absence of any specific quantitative means to measure this construct, we developed a 16-item self-report scale in an Australian context for clinical and research use. The scale measures global beliefs about self-efficacy, personal agency, self-management, and self-sufficiency, thought to constitute parent self-regulation perceptions. Based on existing literature, we developed an initial 71-item scale which we subsequently tested in a representative sample of Australian parents (220 mothers, 80 fathers) recruited by random digit telephone dialling. With a strong theoretical framework, confirmatory factor analysis with adequate fit supported a final 16-item, four-factor scale as hypothesised entitled “Me as a Parent” (MaaP). Three-month test–retest reliability was demonstrated with a subset of the sample (n = 126). Further development of the MaaP, its potential for clinical and research use, and future assessment and validation through field-testing is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Parenting Research Centre, Level 5, 232 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia

    Victoria Ellen Hamilton, Jan Margaret Matthews & Sharinne Bridget Crawford

Authors
  1. Victoria Ellen Hamilton
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  2. Jan Margaret Matthews
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  3. Sharinne Bridget Crawford
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Margaret Matthews.

Appendix: “Me as a Parent” Questionnaire

Appendix: “Me as a Parent” Questionnaire

The following questions are about parenting:

How strongly do you agree or disagree with these statements (please tick):

figure a

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Hamilton, V.E., Matthews, J.M. & Crawford, S.B. Development and Preliminary Validation of a Parenting Self-Regulation Scale: “Me as a Parent”. J Child Fam Stud 24, 2853–2864 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0089-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0089-z

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