Effects of parent education training of the self-concept and knowledge of effective parenting practices of incarcerated mothers

• Main Author: Henderson, Joan Connell
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1990
• Subjects: Academic guidance counseling; Criminology; Families & family life; Personal relationships; Sociology; Social psychology; Social sciences; Education; Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3347; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4343&context=uop_etds

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a parent education program on the self concept and parenting knowledge of incarcerated mothers. Subjects were 97 volunteer incarcerated mothers at a northern California facility for women inmates. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups and were administered pre- and posttest measures immediately before and after treatment. Instruments used were the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) and the Henderson/Trotter parent inventory (HIT). Analysis of covariance and the product-moment coefficient r were used to assess the effects of parent education on the self concept and parenting knowledge of mothers. Additional analysis was done to assess specific demographic/personal factors in relation to the treatment. Major findings of the study were: (1) Parent education did significantly effect the parenting knowledge of the participants at the.001 level. (2) Parent education did not significantly change the self concept of participants over a nine-week period. (3) Results of the posttest scores on the Henderson/Trotter parent inventory were significantly higher, at the.01 level, for mothers reporting abuse versus those reporting no abuse. (4) The mean posttest scores for abused mothers versus non-abused mothers was significantly higher at the.01 on three level of the TSCS dimensions: moral-ethical self, personal self, and family self. Scores were reversed for the two groups on the following dimensions: general maladjustment, personality disorder, and neurosis scales. These findings indicate a more positive effect from the parent education program on mothers reporting abuse versus those reporting no abuse. (5) Posttest scores were significantly higher for mothers reporting "prior record" versus "first offense" on the TSCS defensive positive scale and personality disorder scale indicating the parent education training had a more positive effect on those mothers who reported a "first offense". (6) Results of posttest scores were significantly higher for court-ordered mothers versus optional participation on the personality disorder scale suggesting that treatment was more effective for those mothers optionally participating.