Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES)

The Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale asks a mother how good she believes she is at caring for her baby. Not whether she is doing it correctly, but whether she feels capable — a belief that predicts actual parenting behavior independently of depression, infant temperament, or social support.

Ten questions cover specific mothering tasks: soothing a crying baby, understanding what the baby wants or needs, getting the baby's attention, keeping the baby entertained, maintaining a routine. Nine ask about particular situations and one asks globally how good a parent she feels she is. Responses run on a four-point scale, and higher totals mean greater confidence. It takes only a few minutes.

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