Determinants of Parenting Stress: Illustrations from Families of Hyperactive Children and Families of Physically Abused Children

Abstract Examines the relative contributions of environmental, child, and Parental characteristics to parent-child interactive stress for families of hyperactive children and those of physically abused children. In families of hyperactive children, difficult child characteristics represent a probable source of parent-child interactive stress, whereas in abusive families such stress more likely arises from parental characteristics and adverse environments. The role of maternal cognitions as a mediator of stress in the two types of families is considered and relevant research into maternal perceptions, maternal attributions, and maternal self-efficacy is reviewed. Recommendations for the study of maternal cognitions in the context of interactive stress include: studying the interface between cognition and affect; assessing cognitions as ongoing processes; examining the role of cognitions in mediating situational influences; adopting a systems framework; and establishing the modifiability of specific types of parental cognitions.