Reciprocal stress processes and parenting efficacy in Korean multicultural families: A family stress model perspective.

Guided by the family stress theory and the family stress model, this study examined how parental stress operates as a dynamic and reciprocal system within multicultural families. Specifically, this study tested a four-wave longitudinal model linking maternal acculturative stress (AS) to adolescents' school adjustment (SA) through daily stress (DS) and parenting efficacy (PE). The model captured both autoregressive and cross-lagged effects across the transition from middle childhood to early adolescence. The present study analyzed four-wave longitudinal data from the nationally representative Korean Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study, including 1,424 parent-adolescent dyads. Parents reported on AS, DS, and PE, and adolescents reported on SA. AS at Time 1 predicted higher DS at Time 2, and the two stress domains were reciprocally related across waves. PE showed strong temporal stability and positively predicted adolescents' SA at Time 4. The hypothesized serial indirect pathway (AS → DS → PE → SA) was not statistically significant. However, the direction of associations was consistent with theoretical expectations derived from the family stress model. Findings highlight a cyclical spillover process between acculturative and DS and underscore the protective role of PE in sustaining adolescents' SA. The results reveal the cumulative and reciprocal nature of family stress processes, demonstrating how AS functions as a culturally embedded risk factor initiating daily strain within families. These findings advance the family stress model's applicability to culturally diverse contexts by illustrating the dynamic nature of family stress and adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).