Effectiveness of Parent Management Training in Addressing Externalizing Problems Among 6–8-year-old Female Students

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of parent management training (PMT) in
addressing externalizing problems among 6–8-year-old girl students. This quasi-experimental
study, conducted in 2015, involved pretest-posttest and control groups that comprised mothers
(primary caregivers) of pre-school and first-grade students in Tehran’s District 5 schools. Thirty
mothers were randomly selected among those whose children suffer from externalizing
disorders, as determined and confirmed with the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher
Report Form, respectively. The participants were then divided into two groups: an experimental
group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The experimental group received parent behavioral
management instruction in eight 120-minute sessions for two months. The externalizing
problems decreased after the treatment, and the results were evaluated by covariance analysis.
Results indicated a significant difference between the experimental and control groups after
training, with the former reporting a significant decrease in externalizing problems (P<0.01).
Mean and SD in pretest and post-test of the control group was 14(2.82) and 15.33(2.4)
Furthermore, the mean and SD in the pretest and post-test of the experimental group were
14.66(4.7) and 9.7(6.58). The findings confirmed that PMT influences and decreases children’s
externalizing disorders