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The association between parent-reported and observed parenting: A multi-level meta-analysis
A M Hendriks1, D Van der Giessen2, G J J M Stams2
1Department of Biological Psychology.
Psychological Assessment
|June 20, 2017
Summary
Parent-reported and observed parenting show a weak but significant association. Factors like questionnaire length and parenting type influence this link, with negative behaviors showing the strongest correlation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Research Methodology
Background:
- Parenting behavior is crucial for child development.
- Assessing parenting often relies on self-reports or direct observation.
- Discrepancies between reported and observed parenting are common.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the association between parent-reported and observed parenting.
- To identify moderators influencing this association, including participant characteristics, questionnaires, and observational methods.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of peer-reviewed articles (2000-2014).
- Inclusion of 36 studies with 8,510 participants and 89 effect sizes.
- Three-level random-effects meta-analysis to determine overall association and moderation effects.
Main Results:
- A weak but statistically significant overall association (r = .17) was found between parent-reported and observed parenting.
- Effect size was moderated by questionnaire length; longer questionnaires showed stronger associations.
- The type of parenting behavior investigated also moderated the association, with negative behaviors showing the largest effects.
Conclusions:
- The congruence between how parents report their behavior and how it is observed is modest.
- Questionnaire design and the specific parenting constructs measured are important considerations when interpreting these findings.
- Future research should consider these moderating factors for more accurate parenting assessments.
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