Little research addresses how parental self-efficacy is related to stress responses, and no research does so among parents of early adolescents. To fill this research gap, the current study examined the association between maternal self-efficacy and physiological stress responses during early adolescence. Participants were 68 mother–early adolescent dyads with youth in the 6th grade (M = 11 years; 56% female). Physiological responses (i.e., skin conductance, respiratory sinus arrythmia, cortisol) were measured before and after mothers observed their children engage in a modified Trier Social Stress Test for Children. Mothers reported on parental self-efficacy. Mothers with higher parental self-efficacy exhibited a more moderate skin conductance response to the speech portion of the task, and a smaller increase in cortisol, compared to mothers with lower parental self-efficacy. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia change was not related to parental self-efficacy. The findings are consistent with a “caring but confident” physiological profile among mothers with high parental self-efficacy, suggesting that greater confidence about parental influence might reduce parents’ experience of stress/anxiety as they observe children face certain challenges.

很少有研究涉及父母自我效能与压力反应的关系，也没有研究在早期青少年的父母中这样做。为了填补这一研究空白，目前的研究检查了青春期早期母亲自我效能与生理应激反应之间的关系。参与者是 68 名母亲-早期青春期二人组，其中 6 年级的青少年（M = 11 年；56% 女性）。在母亲观察他们的孩子进行改良的特里尔儿童社会压力测试之前和之后测量生理反应（即皮肤电导、呼吸性窦性心律失常、皮质醇）。母亲们报告了父母的自我效能感。与父母自我效能感较低的母亲相比，父母自我效能感较高的母亲对任务的言语部分表现出更温和的皮肤电导反应，皮质醇的增加较小。呼吸性窦性心律失常改变与父母的自我效能感无关。研究结果与父母自我效能感高的母亲的“关怀但自信”的生理特征一致，