THE EFFECT OF PARENTING STRESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A BRIEF PARENTING INTERVENTION AND ATTITUDES TOWARD SPANKING

Abstract

Parenting stress may adversely impact treatment response among parents in a behavioral parent training intervention, but existing research has not directly measured this effect. Play Nicely is a brief, multimedia parenting intervention developed through Vanderbilt University; previous research has indicated that Play Nicely is effective at reducing positive attitudes toward spanking. The current study aimed to determine the degree to which parenting stress statistically moderates the relationship between participating in Play Nicely and attitudes toward spanking. Participants (n = 150) were recruited through Qualtrics' survey panels and randomly assigned to an experimental group or wait-list control group. Results suggest that as levels of parenting stress increase positive attitudes toward spanking increase as well. There were no statistically significant differences in attitudes toward spanking when comparing the experimental group and wait-list control group. Parenting stress was not found to moderate the relationship between participating in Play Nicely and lower positive attitudes toward spanking, as originally hypothesized. Limitations of the current study, finding implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.