The Role of Parenting Stress and Parenting Practices in Shaping Parents’ Emotional Reactions to Children’s School Behaviours: Insights from Regression Analyses

Abstract

The present study investigated the role of parenting stress and positive and negative parenting practices on parents’ emotional reactions to children’s school behaviours, through the lens of Social Information Processing (SIP) theory. Specifically, it aimed to reveal whether parenting stress affects these reactions independently of parenting practices. Parents (N = 72) read vignettes which described children’s positive and negative behaviours in school contexts, indicating their emotional reactions in response to these behaviours. Participants also completed assessments of parenting stress and parenting practices. To control for potential carryover effects, the order of vignette presentation and surveys was counterbalanced. Contrary to previous trends under SIP theory, neither parenting stress nor negative parenting affected parents’ negative emotions. Conversely, positive parenting practices were associated with increased happiness towards children’s positive school behaviours. Furthermore, parenting stress negatively predicted such positive reactions, with this effect amplified when accounting for parenting practices, revealing the unique role of parenting stress in parents’ SIP. Theoretical implications are discussed, outlining the need to consider positive schemas and emotional reactions under the SIP framework. In addition, the results highlight the necessity for parental stress management interventions, supporting parents to manage their emotional responses and reinforce children’s positive behaviours at school.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English