Patterns of parenting in Korean mothers of children with ADHD: A Q-methodology study

The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of parenting in Korean mothers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and identify major threads that structured various patterns of parenting. Q-methodology, a technique for extracting subjective attitudes, was used for data collection and analysis. Participants were asked to sort statements on issues associated with parenting. Factor analysis was applied to identify patterns in the ranking of statements. Participants were 45 Korean mothers of children with ADHD. As a result, three patterns of parenting emerged: Praise-Fairness, Strict-Control, and Sensitive Response-Balanced. These patterns differed on two axes: external and internal control and positive and negative reinforcement. This study provides an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the parenting patterns of mothers of children with ADHD in Korea. The findings can function as a cornerstone for developing future models of parenting children with ADHD and parent-child interactions.