Skip to main content
Log in

Self-Efficacy Among Unmarried Black Mothers and Fathers of Young Children: A Pilot Study

  • Published:
Race and Social Problems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This pilot study investigated whether participation in a psychoeducation intervention focused on co-parenting and fathers’ involvement would be associated with improvements in self-efficacy beliefs in a sample of economically disadvantaged single black mothers and the nonresident fathers of their focal 3-year-old children. Of 19 couples who participated in the study, 9 were assigned randomly to a 12-session group intervention focused on mastery experiences, social modeling, and stress reduction (experimental condition) and 10 were assigned to a one-session informational group (control condition) about the importance of biological fathers’ involvement with their young children. Between–within subjects analyses of variance showed an improvement in perceived self-efficacy for mothers in the experimental group, but not for fathers whose feelings of efficacy decreased regardless of group assignment. The implications of these findings for future evidence-based interventions and research with larger samples are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, S. M., & Hawkins, A. J. (1999). Maternal gatekeeping: Mothers’ beliefs and behaviors that inhibit greater father involvement in family work. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 199–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amato, P. R. (2005). The impact of family formation change on the cognitive, social, emotional wellbeing of the next generation. The Future of Children, 15, 75–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, E. A., Kohler, J. K., & Letiecq, B. L. (2005). Predictors of depression among low-income, nonresidential fathers. Journal of Family Issues, 26, 547–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1999). A social cognitive theory of personality. In L. Pervin & O. John (Eds.), Handbook of personality (2nd ed., pp. 154–196). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A., Caprara, G. V., Barbaranelli, C., Gerbino, M., & Pastorelli, C. (2003). Role of affective self-regulatory efficacy in diverse spheres of psychosocial functioning. Child Development, 74, 769–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1988). Interacting systems in human development. Research paradigms: Present and future. In N. Bolger, A. Caspi, G. Downey, & M. Moorehouse (Eds.), Persons in context: Developmental processes (pp. 25–49). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. (1997). The effect of poverty on children. Future of Children, 7, 55–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrera, M. J., Ryan, R. M., Mitchell, S. J., Shannon, J. D., & Tamis-LeMonda, C. S. (2008). Low-income nonresident father involvement with their toddlers: Variation by fathers’ race and ethnicity. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 643–647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, M. J., & Corcoran, M. E. (2001). Family structure and children’s behavioral and cognitive outcomes. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 63, 779–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, M. J., & Furstenberg, F. F. (2006). The prevalence and correlates of multipartnered fertility among urban US parents. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 718–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, M. J., & Magnuson, K. A. (2011). Low-income fathers’ influence on children. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 635(1), 95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowan, P. A., Cowan, C. P., Pruett, M. K., Pruett, K., & Wong, J. J. (2009). Promoting fathers’ engagement with children: Preventive interventions for low-income families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 663–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, R. N., Caldwell, C. H., Clark, S. J., & Davis, M. M. (2009). Depressive symptoms in nonresident African American fathers and involvement with their sons. Pediatric, 124, 1611–1618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doherty, W. J., Erickson, M. F., & LaRossa, R. (2006). An intervention to increase father involvement and skills with infants during the transition to parenthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 438–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunford, F. W. (1990). Random assignment: Practical considerations from field Experiments. Evaluation and Program Planning, 13, 125–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edin, K., & Reed, J. M. (2005). Why don’t they just get married? Barriers to marriage among the disadvantaged. The Future of Children, 15, 117–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guzzo, K. B. (2009). Maternal relationships and nonresidential father visitation of Children born outside of marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 632–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, B. C., Martin, J. A., & Ventura, S. J. (2011). Birth: Preliminary data for 2010. National vital statistics reports, 60(2). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chs/data/nysr/nvsr60-02.pdf.

  • Huston, A., McLoyd, V. C., & Garcia Coll, C. (1994). Children and poverty: Issues in contemporary research. Child Development, 65, 275–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, A. P., Choi, J. K., & Preston, K. S. J. (2015). Nonresident fathers’ involvement with young black children: A replication and extension of a mediational model. Social Work Research 39(4), 245–254.

  • Jackson, A. P., Preston, K. S. J., & Franke, T. M. (2010). Single parenting and child behavior problems in kindergarten. Race and Social Problems, 2, 50–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, A. P., & Scheines, R. (2005). Single mothers’ self-efficacy, parenting in the home environment, and children’s development in a two-wave study. Social Work Research, 29, 7–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juby, H., Billette, J. M., Laplante, B., & Le Bourdais, C. (2007). Nonresident fathers and children: Parents’ new unions and frequency of contact. Journal of Family Issues, 28, 1120–1245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Julion, W. A., Breitenstein, S. M., & Waddell, D. (2012). Fatherhood intervention development in collaboration with African American non-resident fathers. Research in Nursing & Health, 35, 490–506.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H. S. (2011). Consequences of parental divorce for child development. American Sociological Review, 76, 487–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kreider, R. M., & Ellis, R. (2011). Living arrangements of children: 2009. In Current population reports (pp. 70–126). Washington, DC: U. S. Census.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lukens, E. P., & McFarlane, W. R. (2004). Psychoeducation as evidence-based practice; considerations for practice, research, and policy. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 4, 205–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. D., Stewart, S. D., & Smock, P. J. (2003). The complexity of fathers’ parenting responsibilities and involvement with nonresident children. Journal of Family Issues, 24, 645–667.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McBride, B. A., Brown, G. L., Bost, K. K., Shin, N., Vaughn, B., & Korth, B. (2005). Paternal identity, maternal gatekeeping, and father involvement. Family Relations, 54, 360–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLoyd, V. C. (1990). The impact of economic hardship on black families and children: Psychological distress, parenting, and socioemotional development. Child Development, 61, 311–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearlin, L. I., & Schooler, C. (1978). The structure of coping. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 19, 2–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rienks, S. L., Wadsworth, M. E., Markman, H. J., Einhorn, L., & Moran Etter, E. (2011). Father involvement in urban low-income fathers: Baseline associations and changes resulting from preventive intervention. Family Relations, 60, 191–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shannon, J. D., Cabrera, N. J., Tamis-LeMonda, C., & Lamb, M. E. (2009). Who stays and who leaves? Father accessibility across children’s first 5 years. Parenting: Science and Practice, 9, 78–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuart, E. A. (2010). Matching methods for causal inference: A review and a look forward. Statistical Science, 25, 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, R. G., Moore, Q., Clarkwest, A., & Killewald, A. (2014). The long-term effects of building strong families: A program for unmarried parents. Journal of Marriage and Family, 76, 446–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Funding was provided by UCLA Transdisciplinary Award.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aurora P. Jackson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jackson, A.P., Preston, K.S.J. Self-Efficacy Among Unmarried Black Mothers and Fathers of Young Children: A Pilot Study. Race Soc Probl 11, 112–118 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-018-9232-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-018-9232-6

Keywords

Navigation