The Cognitive Structure of Parenthood : Designing a Descriptive Measure Carolyn

Parenthood is often thought of as a natural or instinctive process. With the birth of a baby, the parent is expected somehow to be fully equipped to raise a child with love and skill, Yet increasing awareness of the magnitude of such problems as child abuse and neglect, emotional disturbances in children, and adolescent pregnancies and runaways has forced the realization that parenthood is at best a difficult process and at worst an experience of failure and a source of stress and disability for many families. In response to this awareness, many programs and approaches for aiding parents in their tasks and roles are being offered. But despite the proliferation of child rearing literature and parent education enterprises, knowledge of the fundamental processes that under-