中華心理衛生協會

Purpose: The present study is interested in finding out how some factors of mother's parenting cognitions influence disciplines when managing children's conflicts. These factors include mother perceived her parenting efficacy, mother perceived child's responsibility and justification for involving in conflicts, as well as mother perceived how conflicts contribute to her child's social competence. Methods: Seven hundred and thirty-nine mothers are recruited from a public elementary school, 383 of whom rate their daughters and 356 rate their sons. Their children s grades range from the 2(superscript ed) to 6(superscript th) grade. Two questionnaires are used. One measures mother's parenting cognitions. The other one measures maternal disciplines which include harsh discipline, inductive reasoning and non-involvement. Results: Several multiple regression analyses are used. Results show: Inductive discipline is influenced by mother perceived high parenting efficacy, by mother thinking that the opponent child or both children have the responsibility for the conflict, by mother thinking that conflict will contribute to her child s social competence either in a positive or negative way. Harsh discipline is influenced by mother believing that her child has the responsibility in causing the conflict, by mother not thinking that her child can justify the involvement in conflicts, by mother believing that her child will learn unacceptable behavior in conflicts. Non-involvement discipline is influenced by mother perceived low parenting efficacy, by mother thinking that conflict will increase her child's social competence. Conclusions: Factors of maternal cognitions influence how mother disciplines her child when managing conflicts. Parenting education should be emphasized on changing parenting cognitions instead of the disciplines per se.