What is parenting self-efficacy, and why did we develop a tool to measure it?

We saw a gap in the empirical measurement of parenting self-regulation and knew we could create a quality resource that captures parents’ self-perceived competence and efficacy for use in research and clinical applications. 

Parenting self-efficacy represents the degree to which parents perceive themselves as competent and efficacious in their parenting role. Parenting self-efficacy is a term that encompasses a range of parenting skills, including the ability to independently problem solve, self-direct, and adapt to parenting challenges over time.

By capturing this information over time, it can be used to support the understanding of parenting self-efficacy beliefs across a range of samples, to measure and predict parent and child wellbeing, and to understand the effectiveness of parenting programs where one of the targeted outcomes is improvement in parent confidence and self-efficacy.



The Me as a Parent Scale – Short Form (MaaPs-SF)

This is the shorter 4-question version scale.

Tips for using the MaaPs and the MaaPS-SF with parents

Before

To help you get ready to complete the scale:

  • Decide on your key messages – these will guide how you introduce the scale to parents. Keep explanations positive and hopeful, with a focus on how it benefits them.
  • Try not to pre-empt how the parent will be feeling.
  • Check if you are making any assumptions about how parents might respond to the scale.
  • Reflect on your feelings and views about the scale, and how these may show in your words or non-verbal cues when using it with parents.
  • Practice introducing the scale with a colleague or manager to polish your approach and boost confidence.
  • Know your organisation’s processes for using and storing data, so you can confidently discuss privacy, confidentiality, and consent with parents.

During

When introducing the scale to parents:

  • Bring warmth, connection, and a sense of partnership, just as you do in other interactions with parents. Consider your non-verbal cues, like posture and facial expressions.
  • Use a conversational tone, rather than a formal or ‘checkbox-like’ approach.
  • Clearly share your key messages about why the scale is being used, tailoring your explanations to the parent you’re speaking with.
  • Emphasise that there are no right or wrong answers, to help parents answer honestly. The scale is about how parents perceive themselves.
  • Discuss options for completing the scale (e.g. together or alone) based on organisational and funder requirements as well as the parent’s needs. Completing it together is a good option, as it gets done then and there.
  • Cover ethical considerations, such as privacy and confidentiality (e.g. data use, storage, who has access, whether information is identifiable or de-identified) and informed consent.
  • If the parent is hesitant to complete the scale, acknowledge their feelings and gently explore their reasons to provide support, clarify the process or address concerns.

After

  • Check how the parent is feeling, approaching this with gentle curiosity and genuine interest.
  • If emotions have arisen in the parent, you may need to validate or normalise their feelings, address their concerns, or revisit the scale’s purpose.
  • Discuss with the parent that the scale can be used again later to understand changes in their parenting confidence and to celebrate their progress.
  • If time allows, engage the parent in a curious conversation to explore the reasons behind their ratings, identify their needs and strengths, and discuss how to work together toward their goals.

Post-measure

If the scale is completed again in future (as a post-measure), draw on the above tips. It will be important to:

  • Reassure the parent that if their ratings reduce, this doesn’t mean they have gone backwards. It may reflect a parent’s deeper reflection or new insights, which is a positive sign of growth.
  • Identify and celebrate progress and successes to boost the parent’s confidence.
  • Remember that any change in ratings – or none – offers a chance to explore the reasons behind the numbers with the parent.

Video example of using the MaaPs-SF with parents

Want to know more about the scales?

We are happy to help! We can help with in training or adapting the scale for your unique setting. Since development, the MaaPs has been used in practice and research settings around the world, including Turkey, Pakistan, Belgium, Israel, Canada, the USA, England, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Portugal.

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