Parenting Knowledge

The Knowledge of Effective Parenting Scale (KEPS)

(Morawska, Sanders, & Winter, 2007)

Existing measures/research....
Focus on knowledge of child
development
High-risk samples
Infants and toddlers
Inconsistent findings in the literature

The Knowledge of Effective

Parenting Scale (KEPS)
KEPS
y 28 items
y

Using assertive discipline

Causes of behaviour
Promoting development
Principles of positive parenting

Multiple choice

Example items...
An 11-year-old girl tends to yell and shout at her younger sister, in
order to get what she wants. She is most likely to have learned this
by:
a) Seeing characters from her favourite TV show yelling at
each other.
b) Listening to loud music, which may have affected her
hearing.
c) Listening to her parents raise their voices at her, when she
does not do her chores or do as shes told.
d) Its probably just part of her nature.
A child is jumping on the couch. Her mother wants her to stop.
Which approach would be most effective?
a) Telling her to stop jumping on the coach and to jump
outside if she would like to jump.
b) Saying Sarah, dont be so silly.
c) Explaining to her again, why jumping on the couch is
dangerous.
d) Asking her to explain why she wants to wreck the couch.

How does it compare?

Basic psychometrics:
Internal reliability = .59 - .73
Test-retest .70 (N = 24)

Knowledge of effective parenting

strategies (KEPS)
vs
Knowledge of child development
processes and milestones.
(The KIDI, MacPhee, 1981)

How does it compare?

In a sample of toddlers (2-3years) we found
... with greater knowledge of effective parenting strategies
Parents
reported:
higher incomes (r = .39 p = .002)
less dysfunction (r = -.31 p = .014),
less internalised problematic child behaviour (r = -.26 p = .041)
less anxiety(r = -.25 p = .047) and...
Scores also correlated with observed parenting competence (r =
.25 p = .049).
(Winter, Morwaska, & Sanders, In
press)

KIDI scores only significantly

associated with KEPS scores (r
= .39 p = .002).

KEPS and Parents of Older

Children
Lower SES (N = 42): Greater knowledge associated
with less externalised child behaviour (r = -.36, p = .022),
and less dysfunction (r =- .36, p = .023)
Higher SES (N = 192): Greater knowledge associated with
less dysfunction (r = -.14, p = .050).

Mean = 21.51 (2.96) Lower SES,

23.14 (2.70) Higher SES

KEPS and other demographic

variables
Positively related to income and
education
y Unrelated to parity
y Positively related to parent age
y

KEPS and change sensitivity

(Winter, Morawska, & Sanders,
2011)

Standard Group Triple P

y Lower education group (N = 34)
y Higher education group (N= 57)
y

Pre

Post

Effect size (d)

Lower educ

21.55

23.18

.56

Higher educ

23.91

24.59

.35

Mothers (n =

Pre

Post

Effect size (d)

24.25

25.30

.60

21.89

22.91

.36

44)

Fathers (n =
46)

Implications/future directions...
Large scale standardisation
y Track intervention outcomes
y

non-practitioner led interventions

y

Mechanisms of change
Parenting Dysfunction

Parenting knowledge
behaviour

child