Peer-reviewed article
Modeling the Relationships Between Parent Strengths, Parenting Efficacy Beliefs, and Child Social-Emotional Behavior: Shared Activities and Child Well-Being
Carl Joseph Dunst ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how shared activities between parents and young children relate to parenting confidence and child well-being. Researchers surveyed 344 parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers across the United States, using a strengths-based approach. The findings show that when children participate in activities based on their parents' interests and abilities, parents feel more confident and capable, which in turn supports children's social-emotional well-being. The relationships between shared activities, parenting beliefs, and child outcomes are interconnected rather than isolated.
Key points
- Child participation in parent interest-based and parent ability-based everyday activities was directly related to parenting efficacy beliefs
- Parenting efficacy beliefs partially mediated the relationship between shared activities and child well-being
- Parenting efficacy beliefs were directly related to child well-being
- Strengths-based parenting practices are associated with better outcomes for both parents and children
- The study used structural equation modeling to demonstrate indirect and direct effects among variables
Limitations
The study is correlational and does not establish causation; it cannot determine whether shared activities lead to parenting confidence or whether confident parents are more likely to engage in shared activities with their children. The sample is limited to the United States and may not reflect parenting practices or outcomes in other cultural contexts.
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationships between child participation in parent interest-based and parent ability-based everyday activities, parenting efficacy beliefs, and child well-being. A strengths-based positive psychology framework was used to guide the conduct of the study and to posit hypothesized relationships among the study variables. 344 parents and other primary caregivers of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers residing in 49 of the 50 States in America. Latent variables were used to measure two child learning constructs (parent interest-based and parent ability-based activities), two parenting efficacy belief constructs (confidence and competence), and two child well-being constructs (positive well-being and negative well-being). Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of parent-provided everyday child learning opportunities on parenting efficacy beliefs and child well-being. Child participation in parent interest-based and parent ability-based everyday activities was directly related to parenting efficacy beliefs and indirectly related to child well-being mediated by parents’ belief appraisals. Parenting efficacy beliefs were also directly related to child well-being. Findings illustrate how parent and child shared experiences are interrelated, and how strengths-based, positive parenting practices are related to both parenting efficacy beliefs and child well-being.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Parent-child shared activities based on parent interests and abilities, guided by a strengths-based positive psychology framework
- Population
- 344 parents and primary caregivers of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in 49 U.S. states
Key finding
Child participation in parent interest-based and ability-based activities directly predicted higher parenting efficacy beliefs (confidence and competence)