Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Hilary Vidair, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Camilo Ortiz, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Tali Wigod, Psy.D.

Abstract

Externalizing disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are the most common difficulties children face, with only half of children with these diagnoses receiving mental health treatment (Ghandour et al., 2019). Behavioral parent training (BPT) has been shown to be effective for treating externalizing disorders, yet parents exhibit low attendance and high dropout rates (Chacko et al., 2016). Researchers have examined parental acceptability of specific BPT skills (e.g., Calzada et al., 2013); however, no studies have focused on parents’ perceptions of BPT as an overall treatment package prior to participating in BPT. The present qualitative study seeks to explore how mothers of children with externalizing disorders perceive the idea of attending BPT. Seventeen mothers of children ages 3 to 8 were recruited by posting a flyer in Facebook parent and support groups, and handing them out at local preschools, pediatrician’s offices, dance studios, karate studios, sports facilities, and restaurants, and snowball sampling. Participants were screened for eligibility using the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) to assess for oppositional behavior. Participating mothers were presented with a psychoeducational video about the content of a full course of BPT and then interviewed in focus groups about their perspectives on this treatment. Auerbach and Silverstein’s (2003) qualitative grounded theory approach was used to code their responses into themes and theoretical constructs. A member check was then completed with five of the participants. Interrater reliability was assessed by a second, independent pair of coders. Coders were given the themes and asked to sort them into the theoretical constructs. Cohen’s kappa (1960) was 0.93 between coder A and the master list of constructs, 0.78 between coder B and the master list of constructs, and 0.85 between coders A and B. The mean was 0.85, which suggested almost perfect agreement. Six theoretical constructs were identified: 1. Mothers Believe Their Families Would Benefit from BPT, Even Though They Have Some Concerns; 2. Mothers Believe That Being the Primary Participant in BPT Will Be Helpful, While Hoping for Varied Levels of Child Involvement; 3. Mothers Want to Improve Their Child’s Behavior Through Their Own Behavioral and Emotional Change and Consistency Across Caregivers; 4. Mothers Have Concerns About the Logistics of Beginning, Attending, and After BPT; 5. Mothers Want Nonjudgmental, Competent, Child-Friendly Therapists; and 6. Mothers Want Individualized Treatment Approaches, With the Therapist Observing Their Interactions With Their Child. The findings help explain mothers’ first impressions of BPT and several recommendations for how to engage families in treatment for children’s misbehavior are provided.

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