Parents' marital satisfaction, self-compassion, and harsh discipline in China: A dyadic analysis

Objective: Using actor-partner interdependence modeling, this study examined the dyadic associations of marital satisfaction and harsh discipline and the mediating role of self-compassion.Background: Harsh discipline is a negative parenting style commonly used by parents, especially Chinese parents. This parenting approach has been reported by some researchers as harmful and universal. It is important to identify the causes and internal mechanisms supporting use of harsh discipline.Method: Participants were 349 Chinese father-mother dyads with school-age children (M-age of father = 35.4 years, SDage = 5.4 years; M-age of mother = 34.4 years, SDage = 4.9 years). Father and mother self-reported their marital satisfaction, self-compassion, and use of harsh discipline at three time points.Results: The results revealed that fathers' and mothers' marital satisfaction negatively predicted the fathers' and mothers' harsh discipline, respectively. However, fathers' and mothers' marital satisfaction did not significantly predict the mothers' and fathers' harsh discipline. Second, we also found that mothers' marital satisfaction positively predicted fathers' and mothers' self-compassion, while fathers' marital satisfaction did not significantly predict the fathers' and mothers' self-compassion. Finally, fathers' self-compassion played a mediating role in the relationship between mothers' marital satisfaction and fathers' harsh discipline.Conclusion: Parents' marital satisfaction promotes the development of self-compassion and reduces the use of harsh discipline.Implications: Enhancing parents' marital satisfaction may play a role in reducing parents' use of harsh discipline. The researchers highlight the importance of mothers' marital satisfaction in improving mothers' and fathers' self-compassion, which may be an effective measure to mitigate fathers' harsh discipline.