Date of Award

1-1-2008

Document Type

Thesis - ECU Access Only

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

School

School of Psychology and Social Science

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

Abstract

Thc early years of life arc crucial in shaping long term outcomes for children. Many research studies consistently demonstrate that families have the greatest impllct on the young. In this research. Contemporary parenting was compared with parenting skills based on recent eurobiological research in relation to child development. These new parenting skills were taught through a Brain Development Based - Maternal Training Package (BDB-MTP). The partciipants consisted of 78 Mothers and their 78 preschool children. divided into two equal groups. A range of measures were taken hefore the cummnencement of the program, on cumpletion., and d five months later. For the parents, these measures includeda parent t questionnaire and the Parent Stress Index. Fur the children. the Preschool Readiness Inventury and Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales were used. The findings revealed that the mothers who used the BDB-MTP had significantly higher knowledge of brain developmcnt based parenting than those in the control group immediately after completing the intervention and this difference was maintained five months later. There were no significant differences in mothers' stress levels across time or group.

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