This study explored the relationship among worldview, parenting stress, and family functioning in order to design more effective behavioral parent training interventions. Behavioral parent training (BPT) has been shown to be effective in reducing child problem behaviors. However, a number of studies show behavioral parent training to be ineffective with historically underrepresented populations. This study was directed at the caregivers of children with developmental delays, as caregiver characteristics are greatly predictive of child behavioral presentation. The study aimed to clarify the characteristics of caregivers that may be inhibiting the success of behavioral parent training interventions with diverse populations.

Parenting stress is a factor which influences the presence of child problem behaviors, and possibly the effectiveness of behavioral parent training interventions. Family functioning and worldview (Individualism-Collectivism) appear to be factors which mediate parenting stress. Perceptions of parenting stress, worldview, and family functioning were obtained from participants and analyzed.

A group of female caregivers (N=86) of children with a developmental delay were recruited via support groups for caregivers of children with special needs. Additionally, participants were recruited while waiting for appointments at local Regional Centers. Participants were handed a packet containing self-report measures of worldview, parenting stress, family functioning, and a demographic questionnaire. The results showed that worldview and parenting stress are significantly related in that more collectivist caregivers experience lower levels of parenting stress. Family measures of cohesion, communication, and satisfaction were all shown to be significantly related to parenting stress, in that the more cohesive, communicative, and satisfied participants reported being with their families, the lower their perceived parenting stress. Additionally, the more "collectivistic" caregivers experienced significantly higher levels of family cohesion and flexibility.

These findings have implications on the design and delivery of behavioral parent training services, which have been proven to be effective within certain populations. Parenting stress is a significant factor in the presence of child problem behavior, which is modified by family functioning and worldview. By taking worldview and family functioning into account when intervening with families of children with a developmental disability, behavioral parent training interventions may be more effective across diverse populations.