Evaluation of a Video-Based Media Series to Promote Effective Parenting (ParentMedia)

Primary Outcome Measures:

• Child problem behavior: measured by the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (Eyberg & Ross, 1978), phone interview, and observation coding from a structured lab task procedure [ Time Frame: baseline, immediate post, 6-month follow-up ]
  
• Problematic parenting practices: measured by the Parenting Scale (Arnold et al., 1993), phone interview, and observation coding from a structured lab task procedure [ Time Frame: baseline, immediate post, 6-month follow-up ]
  

Secondary Outcome Measures:

• Parent knowledge: Triple P Parenting Quiz [ Time Frame: baseline, immediate post, 6-month follow-up ]
  
• Parental attributions for child misbehavior: Parent's Attributions for Child's Behavior Measure (Pidgeon & Sanders, 2004) [ Time Frame: baseline, immediate post, 6-month follow-up ]
  
• Parental self-efficacy: Problem Behavior and Setting Checklist (Sanders & Wooley, 2005) [ Time Frame: baseline, immediate post, 6-month follow-up ]
  
• Parental stress: Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Short Form (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) [ Time Frame: baseline, immediate post, 6-month follow-up ]
  

The mass media, and television in particular, hold significant potential as part of a population-wide strategy for bringing evidence-based parenting practices to a broad range of parents experiencing challenges raising their children. The potential of television for affecting parenting has received very little research attention, however; thus, little is known about how media messages to affect parenting practices might be optimally designed. This study will develop and experimentally evaluate two variants of a 10-episode, brief (12 minutes per episode), infotainment-style television series targeted at parenting practices, derived from the Triple P—Positive Parenting Program (Sanders, 1999). A sample of 300 families of children ages 3-6 years with somewhat elevated disruptive behavior problems will be randomized to (a) receive a standard "information-only" version of the series that includes only modeling and demonstration of target parenting skills, (b) receive an enhanced "behavior activation" version of the series designed to actively promote parental behavior change, through elements addressing attributions, self-efficacy and expectancies, social support, and emotional reactivity, or (c) a waitlist control group. Measures of parents' parenting practices, cognitions, affect, and social support, and children's disruptive behavior problems, will be obtained at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up. The relative efficacy of the standard and enhanced versions of the Triple P Media Series in improving these outcomes will be examined, as well as moderators of these effects, such as baseline level of behavior problems and parental stress. This study will further our understanding of the potential value of television programming for improving parenting practices.