Differences in Mothers' and Fathers' Readiness for Change in Parent Training

We investigated readiness for change (RFC), a construct that may contribute to the discrepancies between fathers' and mothers’ rates of participation in behavioral parent training. One hundred and twenty fathers and mothers of 2- to 7-year-old children with conduct problems completed standardized measures of RFC, child behavior problems, and parent stress as part of an intake to a parent-child interaction therapy clinic. Fathers reported less readiness for change, less confidence in their ability to make changes, were more defensive about the need to change, and saw treatment as less important than mothers. Results suggest that if clinicians match parent training interventions to mothers’ readiness, fathers may be left behind.