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Published on: February 11, 2017
Effectiveness of the positive discipline program applied to parents of preschool children: A randomized-controlled
Hatice Dayılar Candan1, Satı Doğan2
1Izmir Atatürk Training and Education Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
Insights
The Positive Discipline Program effectively improved parent-child cooperation, reduced authoritarian parenting, and enhanced problem-solving skills in parents of young children. This evidence-based study supports its positive impact on child-rearing practices.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Parenting Interventions
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Limited empirical research exists on the widely used Positive Discipline Program internationally.
- This study addresses the need for evidence-based evaluations of the Positive Discipline Program.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of the Positive Discipline Program.
- To examine the impact of the Positive Discipline Program on parental attitudes and parent-child interactions.
Main Methods:
- A randomized-controlled trial involving 72 parents of children aged 3-6 years.
- Three groups were utilized: an intervention group (Positive Discipline Program), an active control group (free interaction program), and a non-contact control group.
- The intervention and active control groups participated in eight-session online programs.
Main Results:
- Parents in the intervention group showed increased cooperation and improved problem-solving skills.
- Authoritarian and oppressive parental attitudes decreased, while democratic attitudes increased.
- Parent-child communication and listening skills improved in both intervention and active control groups.
Conclusions:
- The Positive Discipline Program is effective in enhancing parent-child relationships, parental attitudes, and problem-solving abilities.
- The program offers valuable guidance for addressing developmental and school-related issues in children.
- Findings highlight the program's strengths and suggest areas for cultural adaptation.
Background:
Although the Positive Discipline Program is used extensively internationally, there are very few evidence-based studies on it. This study aims to examine the experimental results of the Positive Discipline Program.
Method:
This randomized-controlled study had the following types of groups: intervention, active control, and non-contact control. The study sample consisted of 72 parents with children aged between 3 and 6 years. The intervention group participated in an eight-session online Positive Discipline Program, the active control group participated in an eight-session online free interaction program, and the non-contact control group received no intervention.
Results:
Parents in the intervention group demonstrated an increase in cooperation with their children after the training and during the follow-up period. In the intervention group, parents' oppressive and authoritarian attitudes decreased after the training and during the follow-up period; spouses' democratic attitudes increased after the training and their overprotective attitudes decreased in the follow-up period. Parent-child communication and unhindered listening increased in the intervention and active control groups. The problem-solving skills of the intervention group increased after the training and during the follow-up period, and sensitivity increased in the follow-up period.
Conclusion:
As one of the few experimental studies implementing the Positive Discipline Program, this study revealed the strengths of the program as well as culture-specific aspects that need to be improved. Further, this program was effective in improving parents' relationships with their children, attitudes, and problem-solving skills, and it provided evidence for the program's positive contributions to raising a child.
Implications For Practice:
The Positive Discipline Program can guide parents in solving the developmental and school-related problems of preschool children as well as school and adolescence children.
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