The Relationship Between Parent Irrational Belief and Parenting Stress: Serially Mediator Role of Parent Emotion Regulation Strategies

Abstract

As a regular aspect of parenting, parental stress negatively influences parents and their children. Parents’ goals, emotions, and beliefs all impact their parenting. This study examined the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between parents' irrational beliefs and parental stress. Data were collected from 814 parents (452 mothers and 362 fathers. The Parent Irrational Beliefs Scale, the Parent Emotion Regulation Scale, and the Parenting Stress Scale were used. t-tests, ANOVA, and the Hayes process macro (Model 6) were conducted. The results revealed significant differences in variables based on the parent’s gender and the number of children, while the child’s gender did not produce a significant difference. The mediation model testing indicated that mothers’ emotion regulation strategies did not mediate the relationship between irrational beliefs and parenting stress. In contrast, fathers' emotion regulation strategies were found to have a partial mediating role.

Keywords

irrational belief emotional regulations parenting stress parent cognition parenting

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