Self-Reported Maternal Expressiveness: Consider Low Positive Expressiveness and High Negative Expressiveness as Separate Constructs

• In Event: 65.081 - Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: 65.081-5 - Division E: Human Development Session 2

Abstract

A growing number of children display prolonged maladaptive behavior. This widespread issue is associated with adverse outcomes for children, families, and communities. As one avenue to minimize early-onset concerns, the literature recommends parenting interventions to promote caregivers’ responsiveness and positive expressiveness. In the current analysis, the author examined child, maternal and community variables that may be associated with level of self-reported expressiveness among urban Head Start Mothers (n = 114). Findings suggested that low positive and high negative expressiveness separately correlated with non-overlapping, distinct variables. Rather than solely examine ‘positive versus negative expressiveness’, exploring possibly different intervention pathways for both higher risk subgroups may help in devising more tailored parenting interventions.

Author

• Nicole Megan Edwards, Rowan University