Perceived parental stress in face of kindergarten children’s academic setback: roles of parents’ goals and education

Abstract

Previous research studies have demonstrated the link between parents’ education and parental stress level. However, these studies have not taken parents’ goal orientation into consideration. Based on the framework of goal orientation theory, we examined how parents’ goals would interact with parents’ education to affect perceived parental stress in face of children’s upsetting school experience. Participants were 189 parents of Hong Kong Chinese children studying in kindergartens. Using an experimental design, parents with various education backgrounds were randomly assigned to mastery or performance goals manipulation. The interaction between parents’ goals and parents’ education on perceived parental stress was investigated. Results from the two-way ANOVA indicated the significant main effect of parents’ goals, while the main effect of parents’ education and the interaction effect between parents’ goals and parents’ education were both nonsignificant. Regardless of parents’ education, parents in the performance goals condition reported significantly higher parental stress than those in the mastery goals condition. The findings highlight the utility of fostering parents’ mastery goal orientation to improve their well-being and capacity to cope with children’s academic setback.