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PARENTAL REPORTS OF EARLY SOCIOEMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS: DOES THE FATHER'S VIEW MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Author(s) -
Alakortes Jaana,
Fyrstén Jenni,
Bloigu Risto,
Carter Alice S.,
Moilanen Irma K.,
Ebeling Hanna E.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/imhj.21644
Subject(s) - cbcl , socioemotional selectivity theory , psychology , child behavior checklist , developmental psychology , rating scale , checklist , clinical psychology , cognitive psychology
Although both mothers and fathers are essential sources of information to address early socioemotional/behavioral (SEB) problems, there continues to be a dearth of studies considering both parental views. A sample of 208 toddlers ( M age = 19.3 months) was recruited through public child health centers. Both parents of 172 toddlers (76 boys, 96 girls) completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 1‐5 (T.M. Achenbach & L.A. Rescorla, 2000; Finnish translation by F. Almqvist, [Almqvist, F., 2001]). Correspondence (intraclass correlation coefficients; ICCs) between the maternal and paternal CBCL ratings was good (.64) for the Internalizing and excellent (.76) for the Externalizing and Total Problems scores whereas ICCs varied from .45 for the Withdrawn to .76 for the Sleep Problems and Aggressive Behavior syndrome scores. Regarding discrepancies, mothers consistently reported higher CBCL scale scores than did fathers. Most significant differences between the parental ratings were found on the Aggressive Behavior syndrome, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales. Interparental rating discrepancies increased with elevations in the corresponding CBCL scale scores. Positive correlations were found between maternal, but not paternal, parenting stress and interparental rating discrepancies on the CBCL. The observed differences between maternal and paternal ratings highlight the importance of gathering reports from both parents when assessing early SEB problems. The findings are more profoundly discussed in the article.