Development of Parental Efficacy across Generations as Perceived by Sons in Their Fathers and Fathers in Themselves

Abstract

The study investigated level and development of the parental efficacy and it’s: cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions, across three generations: as perceived by undergraduate students, their fathers about themselves and their fathers (students’ grandfathers). A sample of 330 undergraduate students was chosen with their fathers. A tool was developed to assess the parental efficacy; it contained 30 items, 10 for each of the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. Face and internal consistency validity, retest coefficient reliability (0.84), one-way ANOVA, and t-test were used. Results indicated that the level of perceived parental efficacy was high. Students perceived their fathers’ efficacy higher than their fathers do about their fathers. This result means that parental efficacy is positively developed across generations. Students’ fathers, also, perceived their parental efficacy higher their sons’ belief. This result was also the same for cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. Results also indicated that the parental efficacy was higher in the cognitive and behavioral dimensions than the affective one.