Article Title (Size 12; Bold; Times New Roman)

www.jsser.org

Journal of Social Studies Education Research

SosyalBilgilerEğitimiAraştırmalarıDergisi

2020:11 (2), 204-222

204

Cognitive Emotion Regulation: Its Relationship to Parenting Stress

Iswinarti1, Gerdaning Tyas Jadmiko2 & Nida Hasanati3

Abstract

A child’s condition not being in line with the parent’s expectations can cause mothers to

experience pressures that can lead to them not parenting effectively. The condition of children
with special needs in particular can cause some anxiety and pressure that may induce parenting

stress. This research aims to understand the correlation between cognitive emotion regulation and

parenting stress, as moderated by the need to belong. A quantitative approach was employed in
this research, whose participants comprised 428 mothers of children with special needs. The data

were collected using the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation

Questionnaire, and the Need to Belong Scale. The data were then analyzed using the PROCESS

Macro Analysis moderation method. The results reveal a significant negative correlation between
cognitive emotion regulation and parenting stress (β= -0.55; p=0.00), while the need to belong

significantly weakened the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation and parenting stress

(β= -0.29; p=0.04).

Keywords: Parenting stress, cognitive emotion regulation, need to belong

Introduction

Children’s development can result in stress for the parents raising them, especially when a child

has special needs. Children with special needs are assumed to cause more stress and unhappiness

in families due to the greater burden when compared to an average child (Hassall, Rose &

McDonald, 2005; Hodapp, 2007). The challenges experienced by children with special needs

may contribute to the stress that their parents experience.

Parenting stress can lead to psychological and physiological harm, and it arises from efforts to

adapt to the demands of parenthood (Matthew, 2006). Research into parenting stress has shown

that the parents of children with special needs experience a higher level of stress than those with

average children. Indeed, parents of children with special needs have to deal with issues like

disabilities, learning difficulties, and limited social skills in the situations that their children

experience (Oelofsen & Richardson, 2006). Previous research has indicated that the severity of a

1Dr. The University of Muhammadiyah of Malang, Indonesia; Email: iswinarti.psi@gmail.com
2Dr. The University of Muhammadiyah of Malang, Indonesia; Email: gerdaning@gmail.com
3Dr. The University of Muhammadiyah of Malang, Indonesia; Email: nida3105@gmail.com

mailto:iswinarti.psi@gmail.com
mailto:gerdaning@gmail.com
mailto:nida3105@gmail.com

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

child’s disability and characteristics such as hyper activity are related to greater parenting stress

(Yousefia, Far & Abdolahian, 2011).

There are different challenges to development for each disability, so they induce differing levels

of parenting stress. For example, research has revealed that the parents of children with autism

tend to experience a greater level of stress than parents of children with down syndrome (Pisula,

2007; Cuzzocrea et al., 2016). Likewise, parents of children with behavioral development

problems experience a greater level of stress than those whose children have a chronic medical

condition like asthma, HIV, or other general medical disease (Gupta, 2007).

The high number of children with special needs is accompanied by the level of care they need.

Based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), as cited by the Ministry of Education

(2017), the number of children with special needs in Indonesia reached 1.6 million in 2017, yet

schools for such children are inadequately provided, with only 18% of these children being

served. The data show how a great number of children with special needs are not being provided

suitable education services, and there is limited information available to help parents deal with

their children.

Some effects arise when parents experience stress due to a child’s disability, and these may lead

to less effective parenting and possibly violence or abandonment (Gupta, Mehrotra & Mehrotra,

2012). It may cause depression in some parents and degrade their behavior resulting in suffering

for the children (Maclnnes, 2009). It may cause conflict between the father and the mother,

possibly leading to marriage disputes and divorce (Singer & Floyd, 2006). Parenting stress

develops differently among parents, however, with mothers usually experiencing a higher level

of stress than fathers (Theule, Wiener, Tannock & Jenkins, 2013). Women are more likely to

bear a greater psychological burden and have disturbing thoughts than fathers (Scott, Doolan,

Harry & Cartwright, 2012). This is thought to occur because women exhibit a different response

pattern on encountering stressful situations, and they tend to associate more with the stress they

experience (Taylor et al., 2000).

Various disabilities may also involve challenges that further contribute to parents’ differing

stress levels (Maclnnes, 2009). Stress can also trigger a feeling of being unwanted (Abbeduto et

al., 2004). When someone experiences pressure, emotions, and stress, that person will often try

to apply some method to solve the problem. Such methods differ, and they may be effective or

ineffective (Jenaabadi, 2017). Cognitive Emotion Regulation (henceforth, CER) is such a

Iswinarti, et al.

strategy that is rooted in the cognitive domain, and it may control help unwanted the emotions

and feelings arising from a problem (Garland, Gaylord & Park, 2009; Lazarus, 1991; Inn,

Holtzman & Delongis, 2007).

The strategy someone adopts on encountering a problem plays a vital role in avoiding stress and

determining one’s wellbeing and quality of life (Jenaabadi, 2017). CER is divided into two

approaches, namely maladaptive and adaptive (Garnefski & Kraaji, 2001). A person develops a

strategy in line with his or her condition. A stressful condition may be remedied using this

chosen strategy, but this also determines whether the strategy will reduce or increase the level of

stress on encountering a number of problematic situations (Garland, Gaylord & Fredrickson,

2011).

Research into dealing with parenting stress and CER among the parents of children with down

syndrome over an eight-month period showed that high levels of maladaptive strategies were

related to high parenting stress. After eight months, however, something changed, and despite

maladaptive strategies being continuously employed, the parenting stress decreased (Veek, Kraj

& Garnefski, 2009). This finding is supported by another previous study that found that when a

maladaptive strategy is employed by parents after their children are diagnosed for the first time

as having special needs, this strategy may change over time, with a maladaptive strategy

gradually turning into an adaptive strategy as the child ages and develops (Miklosi, Szabo,

Martos, Galambosi & Forintos, 2013). This means that as time passes and children develop, it

influences the way in which people determine strategies.

In the case of parenting stress, besides CER, support can also play an important role in making

mothers of children with special needs better able to adapt to caring for, and parenting, their

children. One study found that the levels of stress that parents experience is associated with

support, with a higher level of support reducing the stress that parents experience (Bannink, Idro

& van Hove, 2016; Hassall et al., 2005; Huang, Costeines, Kaufman & Ayala, 2014; Lima,

Cardoso & Silva, 2016). Feeling supported in turn creates a sense of belonging and helps begin a

process of acceptance (Ballew, 2005; Camara, Bacigalupe & Padilla, 2017).

Support in the form of belonging is one of the better predictors, more so than social support,

when addressing stress and depression (Choenarom, Williams & Hagerty, 2005). Such support

plays a significant role in reducing parenting stress and helping individuals to form relationships

with others, because a person feels respected, accepted, needed, and connected to the

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

environment (Turner & McLaren, 2011). The need to belong results in searching to meet one’s

needs by receiving acceptance, attention, and support from a group (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).

When a parent is strongly supported, he or she will not feel alone when facing and solving

problems. When such support is available, a situation that may normally be considered stressful

can instead be managed well (Skok, Harvey & Reddihough, 2006).

Previous research has explained that strong support in the form of feeling accepted helps deal

with parenting stress, and greater support may contribute to decreasing levels of parenting stress

(Ayala-Nunes et al., 2017; Lima et al., 2016; Long, 2009). Another study concluded that support

in the form of belonging is one of the more notable aids in resolving any stress experienced by

parents (Bannink et al., 2016). In addition, a stronger sense of belonging will significantly

decrease parenting stress and depression (Choenarom et al., 2005; Tomlin, 2014).

Research Questions

The research questions for this study are formulated as follows:

1. Is there any relationship between cognitive emotion regulation and parenting stress among the

mothers of children with special needs?

2. Can the need to belong moderate the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation and

parenting stress?

Literature Review

Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Parenting Stress

Some researchers have stated that mothers experience a higher level of parenting stress than

fathers (Theule, Wienner, Tannock & Jenkins, 2013; Ricci & Hodaap, 2003). Mothers often

experience greater pressure and stress when facing problematic situations (Longest & Thoits,

2012). Psychologically, a mother loses hope in her “abnormal” child, but she should accept the

fact that her child is not perfect (Lam & Mackenzie, 2002). The long-term certainty about the

development and condition of a child with special needs causes specific challenges for a mother,

and the level of stress is greater when there is less support from her spouse, family, or other

relatives, so she will find it difficult to manage the characteristics of her child’s behavior

(Galkiene & Puskoriene, 2020; Gupta, Mehrotra & Mehrotra, 2012).

Iswinarti, et al.

CER is an important predictor for stress, anxiety, and depression (Extremera & Rey, 2014).

When someone suffers from stress, he or she adopts a certain strategy to manage the stress and

regulate her or his emotions (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). CER is one method that some people

adopt to control their emotions through cognition, so they can manage their responses after a

challenging experience (Garnefski, Kraaij & Spinhoven, 2001).

CER as a coping strategy refers to specific efforts to moderate either one’s behavior or

psychology in order to reduce and minimize the impact of an experienced stressful occurrence

(Kumari, Gupta, Piplani, Bhatia & Upadhayay, 2011). CER can be divided into two sub-

strategies: adaptive and maladaptive (Gross & John, 2003). Adaptive cognitive emotion

regulation includes concepts like, among others, acceptance, positive refocus, refocused

planning, positive reappraisal, and putting things into perspective. Maladaptive cognitive

emotion regulation, meanwhile, comprises notions like self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing,

and blaming others (Gross & John, 2003).

People tend to use different forms of CER, and there are gender differences between men and

women. Previous research states that compared with men, women tend to be less adaptive when

solving problems, choosing instead to employ more maladaptive strategies, such as rumination

and catastrophizing, when they encounter problems (Folkman, 2013; Garnefski, Teerds, Kraaij,

Legerstee & Van den Kommer, 2004).

The Need to Belong as a Moderator of the Relationship between Cognitive Emotion

Regulation and Parenting Stress

The need to belong represents how a parent of a child with special needs wishes to share

experiences with others and receive support that may play an important role in mitigating stress

and influencing that person’s evaluation of any stressful occurrences (Baumeister & Leary,

1995). The need to belong is a basic need of human beings, who need frequent and meaningful

communication to develop an optimal state of wellbeing (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). One study

states that the need to belong is a better predictor than social supports for realizing a good state

of wellbeing in life and preventing stress and depression from occurring (Turner & McLaren,

2011).

Support develops in a context of people helping one another by belonging to a process where

they realize the need for support, namely through acceptance (Ballew, 2005; Camara et al.,

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

2017). Such support can give someone a sense of social belonging as that person becomes

involved in activities and interacts with other people (Wills, 1991). One study found that when

people have greater access for forming relationships with others, they will have a stronger sense

of belonging, so their parenting stress will be less (Tomlin, 2014). Belonging provides social

support in the context of mutual support, where people both give and receive support (Ballew,

2005; Camara et al., 2017). Another study revealed that belonging has direct, negatively

correlated effects on stress and depression, so when people experience high levels of stress and

depression, if they are involved in a community and feel part of it, the degree of stress and

depression may be lower (Choenarom et al., 2005).

The need to belong is a form of support gained by looking for help from others in order to

receive attention and feel accepted (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Some emotional problems—

such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness—are often caused by an individual’s failure to satisfy

his or her need for belonging (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). In other words, the need to belong is

not focused on the individual but rather on significant social relationships where one tries to

become involved in interactions, and this serves as a basis for behavior (Choenarom et al., 2005).

One study found that belonging and social support have direct and indirect effects on depression

(Turner & McLaren, 2011).

An important role played by the need to belong in dealing with parenting stress relates to a

person’s great need to belong and be involved in relationships and feel a valued part of the

environment (Choenarom et al., 2005). Fulfilling the need to belong can influence stress, but it

also serves as a basis for establishing relationships (Leary, Kelly, Cottrell & Schreindorfer,

2013). Feeling a need to belong is an antecedent to having a sense of belonging (Wilczynska,

Januszek & Bargiel-Matusiewicz, 2015). The word antecedent here refers to past occurrences

that reveal one’s nature through attitudes, beliefs, and experiences that express one’s needs

(Wilczynska, Januszek & Bargiel-Matusiewicz, 2015).

The factors influencing stress in an individual are numerous, and they affect the behaviors and

strategies that will be employed (Ochsner & Gross, 2008). Theoretically, CER contributes to

changes in parenting stress for the mothers of children with special needs (Fink, 2016). A

stressful situation arises when those special needs become a threat ora source of problems. CER

functions by helping people to cope in solving problems and manage their emotions in the face

of the stress experienced (Garnefski et al., 2001). When person is unable to accept any stressors

Iswinarti, et al.

when dealing with parenting a child with special needs, the need for support should be

recognized and action taken to improve the child’s condition (Hayes & Watson, 2013).

Based on the descriptions in the theoretical reviews, a framework of the correlation between

CER and parenting stress, as well as the moderating role of the need to belong, for the mothers of

children with special needs can be established (Figure1).

Fig. 1. Framework

Research Hypotheses

H1: There is a negative correlation between cognitive emotion regulation and parenting stress.

H2: The need to belong weakens the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation and

parenting stress.

Methods

Research Design

This study applied a quantitative method to examine the correlation between independent

variables, dependent variables, and variables as moderators. This research measured the strength

of the correlation among variables and the contribution that the moderating variable makes to the

correlation between the independent and dependent variables (Winarsunu, 2015). This

quantitative research aims to explain variations in the variables based on the correlation

coefficient (Sarwono, 2006).

Research Subject

The subject of this research is the mothers of children with special needs. A judgment sampling

technique was adopted where the sample was chosen based on the researchers’ evaluation of

which subjects were most appropriate for the research (Darmawan, 2013). The participants were

all mothers who had birthed and raised children who had been diagnosed with a disability or

having special needs.

These children were all studying at special schools (SLB) in Malang city and Malang regency,

with there being a total of 428 children spread over 13 such schools. A detailed description of the

characteristics of the research participants is presented in Table 1.

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

Table 1.

Description of the Research Participants (N=428)
Characteristics F Percentage (%)

Special Needs in Children

Intellectual Disability

Autistic
ADHD

Cerebral Palsy

Specific Learning Disorder

Blind

Deaf

Speech Impaired

No Explanation

219

46
5

51.1%

10.7%
1.2%

8.4%

0.7%

4.4%

13.8%

1.7%

7.9%

Child Age

3 - 10 years

10 - 15 years

15 - 17 years
No Explanation

Mother Age

21- 30 years

31- 40 years

41- 50 years

51 - 65 years

No Explanation

Mothers’ Recent Education

Not graduated from elementary school

Elementary school

Junior high school
Higher education

No Explanation

149

155

92
32

154

148

228
61

34.8%

36.2%

21.5%
7.5%

7.7%

36%

34.6%

9.3%

12.4%

17%

53.3%
14.3%

12.4%

The Variables and Research Instruments

Three instruments were used in this research. Parenting stress was measured using the Parenting

Stress Index–Short Form (PSI–SF) of Abidin (1990), which is based upon (i) Parent Distress, (ii)

Difficult Child, and (iii) The Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction. The measure comprises 36

items and has a reliability of 0.925 and a validity index of 0.24–0.75. Some examples of the

items in this tool include (i) “I often feel that I cannot attain something well enough” (Parent

Distress), (ii) “My child rarely does something that makes me happy” (Difficult Child), and (iii)

Dysfunctional Interaction “There are several things done by my child that bother me” (The

Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction). Each item has five possible answers with different

scores: 5 for “very appropriate,” 4 for “appropriate,” 3 for “between appropriate and

inappropriate/neutral,” 2 for “inappropriate,” and 1 for “very inappropriate.” The higher the

Iswinarti, et al.

score, the greater the parenting stress is. Based on the results, the established parenting stress has

a reliability index α = 0.91 where all items are valid.

Garnefski and Kraaji’s (2001) adapted Cognition Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ)

comprises 36 items based on nine types of coping strategy, divided into adaptive and

maladaptive strategies (Gross & John, 2003). The score is calculated according to five answer

choices ranging from “very appropriate” to “very inappropriate.” The favorable aspects cover

adaptive cognitive emotion regulation forms like acceptance, positive refocusing, refocus of

planning, positive reappraisal, and putting things into perspective. The unfavorable aspects,

meanwhile, include forms of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation like self-blame,

rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others (Gross & John, 2003). The reliability of this

questionnaire is 0.85 with a validity index of 0.75–0.87. An example from the adaptive side is “I

think that I can learn something from situations that happened,” while an example from the

maladaptive side is “I feel that it is me who should be blamed for the occurrence of problems.”

Based on the results of the test for cognitive emotion regulation, it has a reliability index (α) of

0.88, and from 36 items, 30 are valid and may be used to measure cognitive emotion regulation.

The need to belong was measured using the Need to Belong Scale (NTB) of Leary, Kelly, Cottrell

and Achreindorfer (2005). This scale covers the fulfillment of the need and desire to be

motivated and accepted by others. This scale was adapted, and it expresses 10 items. The

reliability of the questionnaire is 0.81 with a validity index of0.78–0.87. An example item in this

tool is “If other people seem not to accept me, I will not let it bother me.” Answers are expressed

through five choices: 5 (very appropriate), 4 (appropriate), 3 (between appropriate and

inappropriate/neutral), 2 (inappropriate), and 1 (very inappropriate). Based on the result of the

test of the scale, from 10 items, there were valid items with are liability index (α) of 0.80.

Research Procedure

This research was conducted over three stages, namely preparation, data collection, and data

analysis. The preparation stage started by formulating the problem and determining the variables

that would be studied, as well as performing some theoretical reviews to get proper explanations

for the variables studied. The next step was to determine and organize the measuring tools to be

used.

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

The data-collection stage was conducted in 13 SLBs of Malang City and the surrounding

regency, with the sampling criteria being that participants must be mothers of children with

special needs whom they had birthed and raised. The researchers distributed the questionnaires in

two ways: Firstly, they were given out to the schools, who then passed them onto the students’

mothers, so they could complete them and return them a week later. Secondly, questionnaires

were distributed to the mothers at school during the session, with the goal and instructions for

completing the questionnaires being explained. The data collection then followed, and any data

that was found to be incompatible with the criteria was eliminated before the remaining data

were analyzed.

Data Analysis

A Hayes’ PROCESS MACRO, applied with the aid of the IBM SPSS version 22.0 software for

Windows, was used to analyze the data. This identified the correlation between the independent

variable (CER) and the dependent variable (parenting stress), as well as established the role

played by the moderating variable (need to belong) in influencing the relationship between the

CER and the parenting stress experienced by the mothers of children with special needs

(Preacher & Hayes, 2004).

Results

Description of the Research Variables

The results of the statistical test showed the mean, standard deviation, and inter-correlation

values for each variable. The respondents answered the need to belong questionnaire with a

moderately high average score (M=2.7; SD=0.39). The CER variable also had a moderately high

average score (M=3.67; SD=0.36), as did the parenting stress variable (M=2.56; SD= 0.52).

Table 2 shows that the result of the inter-correlation test for the variables revealed an

insignificant positive correlation between the need to belong variable and the CER variable

(r=0.01; p<0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between the need to belong

variable and the parenting stress variable (r= 0.17; p<0.00). There was also a significant

negative correlation between the CER variable and the parenting stress variable (r= -0.36;

p=0.00).

Iswinarti, et al.

Table 2.

Statistical Description among Variables
Variable Mean SD 1 2 3

1. Cognitive emotion regulation 3.67 0.36 1 -0.36** 0.01

2. Parenting stress 2.56 0.52 1 0.17**

3. Need to belong 2.70 0.39 1

Note: N=428; ** p<0.01

Hypotheses Testing

The effect of CER on parenting stress

The results of the data analysis using the Hayes model revealed a significant negative correlation

between CER and parenting stress (β=-0.55; p= 0.00). This implies that the greater the cognitive

emotion regulation, the lower the parenting stress will be. CER was able explain 13% of the

variance in the level of parenting stress experienced by the mothers of children with special

needs (see Table 3).

The effect of CER on parenting stress with the need to belong as a moderating variable

The presence of the need to belong as a moderating variable weakened the correlation between

the CER and parenting stress (β=-0.29; p= 0.04). Therefore, the greater the need to belong, the

weaker the correlation there is between CER and parenting stress. The moderating variable was

able to explain17%of the variance in parenting stress among the subjects (see Table 3). The

influence on the regression lines among variables is portrayed in Figure 2.

Table 3.

The results of the regression analysis of the moderating effect of the need to belong on the

correlation between CER and parenting stress

Path effect Β Se T Sig. Rsquare

Constant 2.55 0.02 115.71 0.00

Cognitive emotion regulation -0.55 0.05 -8.71 0.00 0.13

Need to belong 0.31 0.07 5.55 0.00 0.16

Moderating -0.29 0.14 -2.90 0.04 0.17

Note:X= cognitive emotion regulation; M= need to belong; Y= parenting stress

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

Figure 2. The regression lines of the average scores for parenting stress and CER for low,

moderate, and high levels of the need to belong

Based on Figure 2, it can be deduced that a strong/weak correlation between CER and parenting

stress is determined by the subject’s need to belong. In a subject with a strong need to belong, the

correlation between CER and parenting stress is relatively weak. In contrast, when a subject has

a moderate need to belong, the same correlation becomes moderately stronger. Finally, when the

subject possesses a low need to belong, the correlation becomes stronger still.

Discussion

The results of this research show that CER has a negative and significant correlation with

parenting stress, meaning that the greater CER there is, the less parenting stress there is for

mothers of children with special needs. Stress is viewed as something inherent in the responses

of a family that faces difficult situations (Cuzzocrea, Murdaca, Costa, Filippello & Larcan,

2016), but the level of stress experienced is related to the strategies employed. One study

revealed that CER refers to a process of changing one’s thinking with the aim of changing one’s

behavior, because this can play an important role in achieving mental wellbeing because a person

believes in his or her own ability to solve problems (Miklósi, Martos, Szabó, Kocsis-Bogár &

Forintos, 2014).

A high degree of CER in mothers of children with special needs can reduce their parenting

stress. This finding is supported by previous research that found that parents experienced much

more stress when raising children if they tended to use maladaptive parenting styles (Hastings &

Beck, 2004). This finding also agrees with research that stated that CER is associated with stress,

Iswinarti, et al.

with maladaptive CER being applied more than adaptive CER by the parents of children with

intellectual disabilities (Martin & Dahlen, 2005).

Disturbances experienced by children will lead to parenting stress, and this correlates with

anxiety and depression, which may be influenced by the ineffective use of a coping strategy

(Walsh, Mulder & Tudor, 2013). The contribution of CER to parenting stress is 13% in this

study, meaning that there are also other factors that may contribute to parenting stress, possibly

more so, in the mothers of children with special needs. These could include parenting

competence, self-esteem, quality of life, and attachment (Baker, Perilla & Norris, 2001;

Lubiewska & Derbis, 2016; Miklosi et al., 2013; Moreira, Gouveia, Carona, Silva & Canavarro,

2015).

This study also found that the need to belong negatively and significantly moderates the

correlation between CER and parenting stress. The moderating effect of the need to belong

means that an increasing need to belong decreases the predicting effect of CER on parenting

stress (Preacher & Hayes, 2004). In other words, it weakens the correlation between CER and

parenting stress. This happens because the mothers of children with special needs look for

support in their surrounding environments to overcome their parental stress. Therefore, if a

mother uses a high degree of CER and is supported through her need to belong, she will

experience less stress when raising her child. This finding is supported by previous research that

found that satisfying the need to belong also positively impacted on reducing stress, and this may

lead to positive appraisal, which is an adaptive CER that is key to resolving stressful incidents

(Wilczynska, Januszek & Bargiel-Matusiewicz, 2015).

This research also showed that the need to belong correlates with the variable representing

negative emotions like anxiety and worry. A strong need to belong may lead to someone forming

a strong relationships, and negative emotions in his or her mind will decrease in accordance with

a greater need to belong and the subsequent interactions that often happen (Pillow, Malone &

Hale, 2015). A need to belong develops when people invest more time in looking for, and

interacting with, support from others, thus leading to a stronger sense of belonging. When

someone interacts positively with another person, it improves the need to belong in the person. In

contrast, when someone interacts negatively with someone else, it will reduce that person’s need

to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). This finding supports the results of previous research that

found that support is important for someone to overcome difficulties in caring for children with

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

special needs (Dunn, Burbine, Bowers & Tantleff-Dunn, 2001). Various types of support can be

given, but it is not only the amount of support but also its quality that determine show such

support may yield benefits (Dunn et al., 2001; Smith, Greenberg & Seltzer, 2012; Gibbs, 2020).

As a whole, this study was conducted using scientific procedures to reach findings that answer

the research questions and which are in line with previous research. This research does have

some limitations, however, namely because when comparing the research variables, it did not

perform a deep analysis that considered the particular characteristics of the individual children’s

special needs, nor did it establish how stress develops after raising children with special needs

over time.

Conclusion and Implications

The results of this research show the existence of a significant negative correlation between CER

and parenting stress. The greater the CER, the lower the parenting stress will be. The need to

belong also significantly influences the correlation between CER and parenting stress, such that

if the need to belong in a mother is strong, it can reduce the effect of the CER on the parenting

stress of mothers.

It is recommended for future research to investigate moderating variables other than the one used

in this research, because these may have a stronger influence on parenting stress. This could

cover factors like competence, closeness, and self-esteem and the use of moderating variables

from different and new perspectives. It is also recommended that future research focus more on

the subject by distinguishing the particular needs of the subjects’ children, so more diverse

research results can be obtained about the contributions that particular special needs make.

For health workers, this study has the implication that they should give guidance and make

interventions like psycho education, so the mothers of children with special needs can learn CER

skills in order to reduce and minimize their parenting stress.

Iswinarti, et al.

References

Abbeduto, L., Seltzer, M. M., Shattuck, P., Krauss, M. W., Orsmond, G., Murphy, M. M., &

Floyd, F. (2004). Psychological well-being and coping in mothers of youths with autism,

down syndrome, orfragile X syndrome. American Journal on Mental Retardation,

109(3), 237–254.

Abidin, R. (1995). Parenting stress index manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment

Resources

Ahern, L. S. (2004). Psychometric Properties of The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. Thesis.

North Caroline State University

Ayala-Nunes, L., Nunes, C., & Lemos, I. (2017). Social support and parenting stress in at-risk

Portuguese families. Journal of Social Work, 17(2), 207–225.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017316640200

Baker, C. K., Perilla, J. L., & Norris, F. H. (2001). Parenting stress and parenting competence

among Latino men who batter. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16(11), 1139–1157.

Ballew, M. S. D. (2005). Role of Cultural and Social Variables in Parenting Stress and

Acceptability of Parent-training with Native American Parents. Amerika : Oklahoma

State University.

Bannink, F., Idro, R., & van Hove, G. (2016). Parental stress and support of parents of children

with spina bifida in Uganda. African Journal of Disability, 5(1), 1–10.

https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v5i1.225

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal

attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-

529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497

Camara, M., Bacigalupe, G., & Padilla, P. (2017). The role of social support in adolescents: are

you helping me or stressing me out ? International Journal of Adolescence and Youth,

22(2),123–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2013.875480

Corey, G. (2013). Teori dan praktek konseling dan psikoterapi. Bandung: Refika Aditama.

Choenarom, C., Williams, R. A., & Hagerty, B. M. (2005). The role of sense of belonging and

social support on stress and depression in individuals with depression. Archives of

Psychiatric Nursing, 19(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2004.11.003

Cuzzocrea, F., Murdaca, A. M., Costa, S., Filippello, P., & Larcan, R. (2016). Parental stress,

coping strategies and social support in families of children with a disability. Child Care

in Practice, 22(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2015.1064357

Darmawan. 2013. Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif. Bandung: Remaja Rosdakarya.

Dalby, J. (1987). Dr. Albert Ellis and Rational-Emotive Therapy. Canada: Alberta Psychology

Deater-Deckard, K. (1998). Parenting stress and child adjustment: some old hypotheses and new

questions. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 5,314-

332. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.1998.tb00152.x

Dunn, M. E., Burbine, T., Bowers, C. A., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2001). Moderators of stress in

parents of children with autism. Community Mental Health Journal, 37(1), 39–

52.https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026592305436

Ellis, A. (1980). Rational-emotive therapy and cognitive behavior therapy: Similarities and

differences. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 4(4), 325–

340.http://doi.org/10.1007/BF01178210

http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

Extremera, N., & Rey, L. (2014). Health-related quality of life and cognitive emotion regulation

strategies in the unemployed: a cross-sectional survey. Health and Quality of Life

Outcomes, 12(1), 172.http://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-014-0172-6.

Folkman, S. (2013). Stress: appraisal and coping. In Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_215

Fink, G. (2016). Stress: Concepts, cognition, emotion, and behavior: handbook in stress,

Volume 1. Australia : Elseiver

Harris, V. S. , & McHale, S. M. (1989). Family life problems, daily caregiving activities, and the

psychological well-being of mothers of mentally retarded children. American Journal on

Mental Retardation, 94, 231-239

Galkiene, A., & Puskoriene, G. (2020). Development of Adaptation Tools for Pupils on the

Autism Spectrum in Microsystems. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 5(2), 1-

21. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.05.02.1

Garland, E. L., Gaylord S., & Park J. The role of mindfulness in positive reappraisal. Explore.

2009; 5: 37-44. https://doi:10.1016/j.explore.2008.10.001.

Garland, E. L., Gaylord, S. A., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2011). Positive Reappraisal Mediates the

Stress-Reductive Effects of Mindfulness: An Upward Spiral Process. Mindfulness, 2(1),

59–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-011-0043-8

Garnefski, N., Kraaij, V., & Spinhoven, P. (2001). Negative life events, cognitive emotion

regulation and emotional problems. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(8), 1311–

1327.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00113-6

Garnefski, N., Teerds, J., Kraaij, V., Legerstee, J., & van den Kommer, T. (2004). Cognitive

emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms: Differences between males and

females. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(2), 267–276.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00083-7

Gibbs, B. (2020). Critical teaching in classrooms of healing: Struggles and testimonios. Journal

of Curriculum Studies Research, 2(1), 95-111. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.02.01.6

Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes:

Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 85(2), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348

Gupta, V. B. (2007). Comparison of parenting stress in different developmental disabilities.

Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 19(4), 417–425.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-007-9060-x

Hassall, R., Rose, J., & McDonald, J. (2005). Parenting stress in mothers of children with an

intellectual disability: The effects of parental cognitions in relation to child characteristics

and family support. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49(6), 405–418.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00673.x

Hastings, R. P., & Beck, A. (2004). Practitioner Review: Stress intervention for parents of

children with intellectual disabilities: Stress intervention for parents. Journal of Child

Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(8), 1338–1349. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-

7610.2004.00357.x

Hayes, S. A., & Watson, S. L. (2013). The Impact of Parenting Stress: A Meta-analysis of

Studies Comparing the Experience of Parenting Stress in Parents of Children With and

Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,

43(3), 629–642. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1604-y

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00113-6
https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.02.01.6

Iswinarti, et al.

Hodapp, R. M. (2007). Families of persons with Down syndrome: New perspectives, findings,

and research and service needs. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Research Reviews, 13(3), 279–287. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrdd.20160

Huang, C. Y., Costeines, J., Kaufman, J. S., & Ayala, C. (2014). Parenting stress, social support,

and depression for ethnic minority adolescent mothers: Impact on child development.

Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(2), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-

013-9807-1

Kementrian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Indonesia. (2017). Sekolah inklusi dan pembangunan

SLB dukung pendidikan inklusi. Retrive from

https://www.kemdikbud.go.id/main/blog/2017/02/sekolah-inklusi-dan-pembangunan-slb-

dukung-pendidikan-inklusi

Lam LW, Mackenzie AE. (2002). Coping with a child with down syndrome: the experiences of

mothers in Hong Kong. Qualitative Heath Research (12) 223–237.https://doi.org/

10.1177/104973202129119856.

Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York: Springer.

Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.

Jenaabadi, H. (2017). Effect of emotion regulation training on depression, anxiety, and stress

among mothers of children with mental disorders. Journal of Research and Health, 7(1),

663–671. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.jrh.7.1.663

Leary, M. R., Kelly, K. M., Cottrell, C. A., & Schreindorfer, L. S. (2013). Construct validity of

the need to belong scale: mapping the nomological network. Journal of Personality

Assessment, 95(6), 610–624. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2013.819511

Lima, M. B. S., Cardoso, V. dos S., & Silva, S. S. da C. (2016). Parental stress and social support

of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto), 26(64), 207–214.

https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-43272664201608

Long, A. C. J. (2009). Parenting stress and social support in families with children with fragile

X syndrome: A comparison of mothers and fathers. Thesis. The University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Longest, K. C., & Thoits, P. A. (2012). Gender, the stress process, and health: a configurational

approach. Society and Mental Health, 2(3), 187–206.

https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869312451151

Lubiewska, K., & Derbis, R. (2016). Relations between parenting stress, attachment, and life

satisfaction in mothers of adolescent children. Polish Journal of Applied Psychology,

14(2). https://doi.org/10.1515/pjap-2015-0056

Maclnnes, L.K. (2006).Parenting self-efficacy and stress in mothers and fathers of children with

down syndrome. Thesis. Simon Fraser Univeristy

Marin, T. J., Holtzman, S., DeLongis, A., & Robinson, L. (2007). Coping and the response of

others. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24(6), 951-969.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0265407507084192

Martin, R. C., & Dahlen, E. R. (2005). Cognitive emotion regulation in the prediction of

depression, anxiety,stress,and anger.Personality and

IndividualDifferences,39(7),12491260.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.06.004

Matthew, R. F. (2006). Relation of maternal support and maternal stress to children’s behavior

problems in African American families. Dissertation. University of Maryland

http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/0265407507084192

Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2020: 11(2), 204-222

Miklósi, M., Martos, T., Szabó, M., Kocsis-Bogár, K., & Forintos, D. (2014). Cognitive emotion

regulation and stress: a multiple mediation approach. Translational Neuroscience, 5(1).

https://doi.org/10.2478/s13380-014-0207-9

Miklosi, M., Szabo, M., Martos, T., Galambosi, E., & Perczel Forintos, D. (2013). Cognitive

Emotion Regulation Strategies Moderate the Effect of Parenting Self-Efficacy Beliefs on

Parents’ Anxiety Following Their Child’s Surgery. Journal of Pediatric Psychology,

38(4), 462–471. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jss174

Moreira, H., Gouveia, M. J., Carona, C., Silva, N., & Canavarro, M. C. (2015). Maternal

Attachment and Children’s Quality of Life: The Mediating Role of Self-compassion and

Parenting Stress. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(8), 2332–2344.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0036-z

Ochsner, K. N., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Cognitive emotion regulation: Insights from social

cognitive and affective neuroscience. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(2),

153–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00566.x

Oelofsen, N., & Richardson, P. (2006). Sense of coherence and parenting stress in mothers and

fathers of preschool children with developmental disability. Journal of Intellectual and

Developmental Disability, 31(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668250500349367

Pianta, R. C., & Egeland, B. (1990). Life stress and parenting outcomes in a disadvantaged

sample: Results of the mother-child interaction project. Journal of Clinical Child

Psychology, 19(4), 329-336.http://doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp1904_4

Pillow, D. R., Malone, G. P., & Hale, W. J. (2015). The need to belong and its association with

fully satisfying relationships: A tale of two measures. Personality and Individual

Differences, 74, 259–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.10.031

Pisula, E. (2007). A comparative study of stress profiles in mothers of children with autism and

those of children with Down's syndrome. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual

Disabilities, 20(3), 274-278. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3148.2006.00342.x

Preacher, KJ., &Hayes AF. (2004).SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in

simple mediation models.Behavior Research Methods Instrumen & Computer.36(4):717-

31.

Ricci, LA., &Hodapp, RM. (2003).Fathers of children with Down's syndrome versus other types

of intellectual disability: perceptions, stress and involvement. Journal of intellectual

disability research. 47(4-5): 273-84.http://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003.00489.x

Sarwono. (2006). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif dan Kualitatif. Yogyakarta. :Graha Ilmu

Scott, S., Doolan, M., Harry, S., & Cartwright, S. (2012). How is parenting style related to child

antisocial behaviour ? Preliminary findings from the Helping Children Achieve Study.

London: Departemet for education

Singer, G. H., & Floyd, F. (2006). Meta-analysis of comparative studies of depression in mothers

of children with and without developmental disabilities. American Journal on Mental

Retardation, 111(3), 155–169.http://doi.org/10.1352/0895-8017

Skok, A., Harvey, D., & Reddihough, D. (2006). Perceived stress, perceived social support, and

wellbeing among mothers of school‐aged children with cerebral palsy. Journal of
Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 31(1), 53-57.

http://doi.org/10.1080/13668250600561929

Smith, L. E., Greenberg, J. S., & Seltzer, M. M. (2012). Social Support and Well-being at Mid-

Life Among Mothers of Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00566.x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15641418
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13668250600561929

Iswinarti, et al.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(9), 1818–1826.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1420-9

Taylor, S. E., Klein, L. C., Lewis, B. P., Gruenewald, T. L., Gurung, R. A., & Updegraff, J. A.

(2000). Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-

flight. Psychological review, 107(3), 411.https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-295X.107.3.411

Theule, J., Wiener, J., Tannock, R., & Jenkins, J. M. (2013). Parenting Stress in Families of

Children With ADHD: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral

Disorders, 21(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1063426610387433

Tomlin, D. A. (2014). The impact of participation in online social networking on parenting

stress levels of single mothers. Chattooga : The University of Tennessee

Turner, L., & McLaren, S. (2011a). Social support and sense of belonging as protective factors in

the rumination-depressive symptoms relation among Australian women. Women and

Health, 51(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2011.558004

Turner, L., & McLaren, S. (2011b). Social Support and Sense of Belonging as Protective Factors

in the Rumination-Depressive Symptoms Relation Among Australian Women. Women &

Health, 51(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2011.558004

Veek, S.M.C., Kraaij, V., & Garnefski, N. (2009). Cognitive Coping Strategies and Stress in

Parents of Children With Down Syndrome: A Prospective Study. Intellectual and

developmental disabilities, 47(4), 295-306.https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-47.4.295

Walsh, C. E., Mulder, E., & Tudor, M. E. (2013). Predictors of parent stress in a sample of

children with ASD: Pain, problem behavior, and parental coping. Research in Autism

Spectrum Disorders, 7(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2012.08.010

Wilczynska, A., Januszek, M., & Bargiel-Matusiewicz, K. (2015). The need of belonging and

sense of belonging versus effectiveness of coping. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 46(1),

72–81. https://doi.org/10.1515/ppb-2015-0008

Wills T A. Social support and interpersonal relationships. (Clark M S. ed) Review of personality

and social psychology. Newbury Park. CA: Sage, 1991. Vol. 12. p. 265-89

Winarsunu, T. (2015). Statistik dalam ilmu penelitian psikologi dan pendidikan. Malang: UMM

Press.

Yousefia, S., Far, A. S., & Abdolahian, E. (2011). Parenting stress and parenting styles in

mothers of ADHD with mothers of normal children. Procedia-Social and Behavioral

Sciences, 30, 1666–1671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.323