Abstract
Parents of young children who exhibit behavioral problems often experience lower marital satisfaction. In the present study we aimed to explore the association between preschool children's noncompliant behavior and marital satisfaction, and to explain it through the mediating role of parental self-efficacy and satisfaction with parenting. Participants were 188 married Israeli couples with a typically developing child aged 3 to 6, selected in a convenience sample. Mothers and fathers independently completed measures of child’s behavior, marital satisfaction, parental self-efficacy, and satisfaction with parenting. Data were collected between September 2019 and February 2020 and were analyzed using the common fate model (CFM). Results indicate a direct, negative association between child's noncompliant behavior and marital satisfaction, which was fully explained by parental self-efficacy and satisfaction with parenting. The study suggests that both parents are affected by their young child’s noncompliance, with a spillover effect from the parent–child relationship into the marital relationship. The findings highlight the importance of early treatment of children's noncompliance and indicate that interventions aimed at enhancing parents’ self-efficacy and satisfaction, as well as the inclusion of both parents in treatment, may be beneficial.
Highlights
Young children's noncompliance toward parental requests is one of the most common behavioral problems, often the first to lead parents to seek professional intervention (Kalb & Loeber, 2003; McMahon & Forehand, 2005)
In the present study we aimed to examine the association between noncompliant behaviors of preschool children and marital satisfaction and to explain the impairment in marital satisfaction, through the mediating role of parental self-efficacy and satisfaction with parenting
A positive correlation was found between marital satisfaction and satisfaction with parenting, and between marital satisfaction and parental self-efficacy
Summary
Young children's noncompliance toward parental requests is one of the most common behavioral problems, often the first to lead parents to seek professional intervention (Kalb & Loeber, 2003; McMahon & Forehand, 2005). Carmit Matalon and Maria Nicoleta Turliuc contributed . In addition to these possible negative outcomes for children, noncompliance in young children can adversely affect parents’ well-being and interparental relationship (Pettit & Arsiwalla, 2008), and research has shown that parents of young children who exhibit behavioral problems often experience lower marital satisfaction (Mark & Pike, 2017). Systems theory (FST; Minuchin, 1974) provides a theoretical framework for understanding the impact of rearing children with behavioral problems on parents and on processes within the family. Building on the FST theoretical framework and previous empirical literature, which will be reviewed below, the present study sought to contribute to a broader understanding of the association between young children’s noncompliance
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