Neuroscience

Perception

Parent education

Child development

Parenting styles

Parenting skills

Intervention (counseling)

Psychiatry

Social learning theory

Psychology

Social psychology

Developmental psychology

Parent training

For the importance of parenting, with the long-term implications for children, families, and society, there is precious little psychological theory specifically on parents and parent development. And, while there are many parent education programs available and certainly substantial research on parents (e.g., Baurmind, 1975, 1991), none are based on an overall theoretical model regarding who parents are and how they develop in relation to the parenting role. This article provides a theoretical framework, the Parent Development Theory (PDT) to assist professionals in organizing their thinking, practice, and research regarding parenting. Originally called the Parent Role Development Theory (PRDT), the PDT considers parenting by examining the important social role which parents play (Mowder, 1991, 1993, 1997). The parent role is important to understand since it is through this role that individuals perceive what parenting involves and consequently parent children. At various points on any given day, individuals ...

Parent Development Theory: Understanding Parents, Parenting Perceptions and Parenting Behaviors