Maternal self-efficacy and children's influence on stress and parenting among single Black mothers in poverty

This study explores the relations among perceived self-efficacy, social sup port, children's behavior;, and maternal parenting in a sample of 188 singl e Black mothers of a preschool-age child, employed and nonemployed, who als o were current and former welfare recipients in New York City. Using multip le regression techniques, a positive relationship was found between child b ehavior problems and parenting stress; being nonemployed, lower self-effica cy, and less social support from friends were marginally significant predic tors. Fewer child behavior problems and higher maternal educational attainm ent were significant predictors of more supportive, involved parenting. A m arginally significant positive interaction between self-efficacy and child behavior problems indicated that self-efficacy buffered the effect of behav ior problems on maternal parenting behavior.