Maternal attitudes toward discipline: A comparison of children with cancer and non-chronically ill peers

In this study we examined the factors influencing use of discipline and specific discipline strategies of 22 mothers of children diagnosed with cancer receiving treatment and 22 mothers of non-chronically ill controls (ages 3 to 10 years). There were no significant differences between the two groups of mothers in their use of ''positive reinforcement'' t(42) = 1.22, p > .05, ''punishment'' t(42)= .81, p >.05, ''force'' t(42)= 1.07, p >.05, ''giving in'' t(42) = .25, p >.05, or ''logic and rationalization'' t(42) = .09, p >.05, as discipline strategies. However, mothers of oncology patients were rated as expressing more conflict t(36) = 2.85,p <.007 about discipline, and there was a trend for them to feel less in control in situations requiring discipline t(36) = 2.51, p <.017, than mothers of healthy children. There was also a trend for mothers of oncology patients to be rated as less consistent in their discipline t(36) = 2.46, p <.019. A significant negative correlation was found between behavioral intensity on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory and parental endorsement of giving in as a discipline technique for the combined sample of children with cancer and healthy controls, r = -.47, p <.01. Similar to other studies of general parenting of children with cancer, this study did not find differences on endorsement of specific discipline strategies by mothers of children with cancer as compared to mothers of healthy peers. However, differences did emerge in mothers' feelings of conflict and sense of control regarding discipline. Future research should explore factors that contribute to mothers' implementation of discipline strategies rather than specific strategies used.