The study investigated the role of parental perceived control in child development. A
discussion of the conceptual bases of two parental locus-of-control scales led to
differential predictions as regards their relations with parent experiences during
infancy and child problems and competencies at 4 and 9 years. The Parental Control
of Child’s Behaviour scale was suggested to measure perceived control and
to be related to infancy factors and child outcomes. The Parental Responsibility
scale was tentatively seen as measuring a stereotypic view, and associations with
infancy aspects and child outcomes were not predicted. In a normal longitudinal
sample of 103 families, mothers’ and fathers’ control ratings
were obtained at ages 33 months and 9 years. In contrast to parental responsibility
ratings, parental control ratings were predicted by child difficultness and parental
adaptation during infancy, and more perceived control was associated with fewer
problems and more competence both longitudinally and concurrently. Both
fathers’ and mothers’ perceived control was important. It was
further concluded that the Parental Control scale could function as a
psychometrically adequate measure of how parents perceive their actual control in
the rearing situation.
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