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A Mediation Model of Interparental Collaboration, Parenting Practices, and Child Externalizing Behavior in a Clinical Sample
Author(s) -
Kjøbli John,
Hagen Kristine Amlund
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2009.00552.x
Subject(s) - moderation , psychology , developmental psychology , structural equation modeling , externalization , mediation , parenting styles , moderated mediation , psychological intervention , child rearing , clinical psychology , social psychology , political science , law , statistics , mathematics , psychiatry
The present study examined maternal and paternal parenting practices as mediators of the link between interparental collaboration and children's externalizing behavior. Parent gender was tested as a moderator of the associations. A clinical sample consisting of 136 children with externalizing problems and their families participated in the study. Structural equation modeling was used to test the study hypotheses. Maternal and paternal parenting practices fully mediated the relation between interparental collaboration and externalizing behavior. When the mediated pathways were tested separately, paternal parenting practices functioned as a mediator, whereas maternal parenting practices did not, indicating that the relationship between interparental collaboration, parenting practices and externalizing behavior was moderated by parent gender. The findings suggest that treatments aimed at reducing child externalizing behavior may be strengthened by focusing on interparental collaboration in addition to parenting practices, while also underscoring the need to involve fathers in interventions.