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Parenting Cognitions in Stepfamilies: Differences between Parents and Stepparents and Relations to Parenting Satisfaction

University of Dayton

Lawrence A. Kurdek

Wright State University

This study examined the parenting cognitions of both spouses of married couples recruited from the Stepfamily Association of America. Spouses in 115 of these couples were fathers/stepmothers of a 5-15-year-old target child and 100 were mothers/stepfathers of such a target child. Participants completed measures of cognitions (perceptions, assumptions and standards) related to their control and warmth parenting behaviors, as well as parenting satisfaction. Biological parents, in contrast to stepparents, generally reported that they more frequently engage in parenting behaviors (perceptions), that typical parents engage more frequently in parenting behaviors than typical stepparents (assumptions), and that they should engage more frequently in parenting behaviors (standards). After controlling for demographic variables, parents' appraisals of their parenting performance, but not interparent cognitive discrepancies, accounted for significant portions of variability in their parenting satisfaction.

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 11, No. 1, 95-112 (1994)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407594111006


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