Mothering under pressure: Environmental, child, and dyadic correlates of maternal self-efficacy among low-income women

In this study, the authors examine environmental, child, and dyadic correlates of mothers' perceptions of parenting self-efficacy among a group of women raising toddlers in an urban area of concentrated poverty (N = 44). Findings suggest that women's self-efficacy is inversely related to the number of environmental risks and to child's temperamental difficulty. Although observed measures of dyadic conflict were not directly related to women's ratings of self-efficacy, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that mother-toddler conflict served as a moderator. Specifically, higher maternal self-efficacy was associated with fewer risks for women experiencing higher levels of conflict. For mothers experiencing lower levels of conflict with their children, maternal self-efficacy was inversely associated with child's temperamental difficulty.