Trends in parental self-efficacy between 1999 and 2014

Parenting and parent-child relationships in Western countries have undergone notable changes over recent decades. Parents today generally spend more time with their children and use less harsh discipline compared to parents over 50 years ago. Less is known about trends in parental beliefs over this time period. In this study, we examined differences in parental self-efficacy (PSE) between parents of young adolescents from two samples, one collected in 1999/2000 and one in 2014. We focused specifically on PSE concerning children's school adjustment and other behaviors outside the home. Results showed that although the meaning of PSE was the same at both time points (i.e., the latent PSE factor showed equivalence across the samples), parents in the 2014 sample reported significantly lower levels of PSE than did parents in the 1999/2000 sample. This difference contrasts with trends concerning parenting practices and is discussed in relation to societal changes over this time period, such as changes in expectations and societal pressure on parents, and in technology, including social media. This study adds to research on trends in parenting, suggesting that parents in Western countries feel less efficacious in promoting certain positive behaviors among young adolescents compared to parents 15 years ago.