Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PMP S-E)

Abstract

The Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PMP S-E) is a specialized psychological instrument designed to assess a mother’s confidence in her ability to perform various parenting tasks related to infant care and interaction. Developed by Barnes and Adamson-Macedo in 2007, this 20-item scale is particularly relevant for clinical settings, having been initially validated with mothers of hospitalized preterm neonates. The PMP S-E provides crucial insights into the psychological readiness and perceived competence of mothers, especially those facing the unique challenges associated with caring for vulnerable or medically fragile infants, thereby informing targeted interventions aimed at bolstering maternal self-efficacy and promoting positive parent-infant attachment.

Keywords

Maternal Self-Efficacy, Parenting Competence, Preterm Neonates, NICU, Infant Care, Psychological Assessment, Parenting Scale.

Authors

C. R. Barnes, E. N. Adamson-Macedo.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PMP S-E is the quantitative measurement of perceived parental self-efficacy specific to the maternal role in caring for a young infant. It aims to evaluate the degree of confidence a mother holds concerning her competence across a range of infant care activities, behavioral interpretation, and emotional responsiveness.

This assessment tool is vital in clinical environments, such as Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), where maternal stress and feelings of inadequacy are often elevated due to the complexities of caring for preterm neonates. By identifying areas where a mother’s confidence is low, healthcare providers can utilize the PMP S-E results to tailor educational and psychological support interventions, ultimately fostering a smoother transition to the parenting role.

Construct

The PMP S-E measures the psychological construct of perceived self-efficacy, as defined by Bandura, applied specifically to the maternal parenting domain. Parenting self-efficacy refers to the beliefs parents hold about their ability to influence their child’s development, behavior, and well-being successfully.

The scale focuses on specific behavioral domains within early infancy, rather than general self-esteem, covering areas such as the ability to interpret infant cues, the capacity for soothing a distressed baby, and proficiency in routine caretaking tasks. High scores indicate strong maternal confidence and perceived control over infant outcomes, which is often associated with better maternal mental health and more sensitive parenting behaviors.

Validity

The original development and validation process for the PMP S-E established strong evidence for its validity, particularly among the target population of mothers of hospitalized preterm neonates. Content validity was established through rigorous item generation and subsequent expert review to ensure comprehensive coverage of essential maternal tasks.

Construct validity has been supported by demonstrating expected correlations between PMP S-E scores and other relevant psychological measures. For example, higher scores on the PMP S-E typically correlate positively with measures of maternal bonding and attachment, and negatively with indicators of maternal anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms, confirming its status as a reliable measure of the intended psychological construct.

Reliability

The PMP S-E demonstrates high internal consistency, which is a key measure of reliability indicating that the items within the scale are highly correlated and measure the same underlying construct. In the original validation study (Barnes & Adamson-Macedo, 2007), the scale showed excellent reliability, with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients consistently reported above 0.90.

Subsequent studies across various populations, including translations and adaptations, have generally confirmed this high level of internal consistency, reinforcing the PMP S-E’s utility as a stable and reliable instrument for measuring maternal parenting self-efficacy in diverse clinical and research settings.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis performed during the development of the PMP S-E typically suggests a multidimensional structure, although the scale is often scored as a single, unified measure of general maternal self-efficacy. The original analysis by Barnes and Adamson-Macedo (2007) identified three distinct, yet highly correlated, factors or subscales that contribute to the overall score.

These factors generally correspond to specific facets of maternal competence: 1) Affect/Interaction (confidence in relating to and making the baby happy); 2) Soothing (confidence in calming a distressed or fussy baby); and 3) Caretaking (confidence in performing routine physical tasks like feeding, bathing, and changing). This factor structure allows researchers to examine specific areas of confidence rather than relying solely on the global score.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire.

Format: 20 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (original), Farsi/Iranian (validated translation).

Population Group: Mothers.

Age Group: Adults (Mothers of infants).

Population Details: Originally validated for mothers of hospitalized preterm neonates. Applicable to mothers of full-term infants as well, although the context of use often involves vulnerable infant populations.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with statements concerning their perceived ability to manage various aspects of infant care and interaction, ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.

Keywords

Infant Development, Parent-Infant Interaction, NICU Care, Maternal Mental Health, Self-Efficacy, Psychometrics, Nursing Research.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 2007 (Original Validation).

Permissions & Fee: The scale is generally available for use in academic research, though users should consult the original authors or publishing journal (Journal of Advanced Nursing) regarding specific licensing or usage fees for commercial or clinical applications.

The original PDF describing the scale’s use in Iranian mothers of hospitalized Preterm Neonates can be downloaded here: http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-374-fa.pdf. Further application details are available in an article published in Neonatal and Pediatric Medicine.

Reference’s

• Barnes, C. R., & Adamson-Macedo, E. N. (2007). Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy (PMP S-E) tool: Development and validation with mothers of hospitalized preterm neonates. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 60(5), 550–560.
• Barnes & Adamson-Macedo, (2007). Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy. In: Simmons C. A., Lehmann P. (eds). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation, New York, NY: Springer, pp. 436-438. (2013).
• Aliabadi, Faranak., Borimnejad, Leili., Kamali, Mohammad., et al. (2013). Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy: Translation and Face validation with Iranian mothers of hospitalized Preterm Neonates. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal, 11 (Special issue), 7-10.
• Additional resources are available via Google Scholar and the publication in Neonatal and Pediatric Medicine.

Items of the Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PMP S-E)

The scale utilizes a 4-point response format: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.

1. I believe that I can tell when my baby is tired and needs to sleep.
2. I believe that I have control over my baby’s care.
3. I can tell when my baby is sick.
4. I can read my baby’s cues.
5. I can make my baby happy.
6. I believe that my baby responds well to me.
7. I believe that my baby and I have a good interaction with each other.
8. I can make my baby calm when he/she has been crying.
9. I am good at soothing my baby when he/she becomes upset.
10. I am good at soothing my baby when he/she becomes fussy.
11. I am good at soothing my baby when he/she continually cries.
12. I am good at soothing my baby when he/she becomes more restless.
13. I am good at understanding what my baby wants.
14. I am good at getting my baby’s attention.
15. I am good at knowing what activities my baby does not enjoy.
16. I am good at keeping my baby occupied.
17. I am good at feeding my baby.
18. I am good at changing my baby.
19. I am good at bathing my baby.
20. I can show affection to my baby.