Poster #140 - Maternal Conditional Regard with Toddlers: Early Antecedents and Potential Effects on Toddlers' Functioning

• In Event: 2-163 - Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Based on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017), this paper examines the hypothesis that the socializing-practice of parental conditional-regard (PCR) - providing more affection and esteem when children comply with expectations, and less affection and esteem when they don't – is an antecedent of the following child outcomes: (1) Compliance, (2) Non-optimal stressful coping when unintentionally failing to comply. While results of past studies are consistent with this view, none used a longitudinal design, or was conducted in early childhood. Furthermore, no studies have ruled out the possibility that the negative effects of PCR could be attributed to a harsher power-assertive practice that may accompany PCR. Also missing is research on antecedents of PCR in early childhood. The present study addressed these issues, hence being the first longitudinal study of potential outcomes and antecedents of PCR.
Participants were 163 Israeli expecting mothers and their first-born child (48% female). Data were collected at four time points. At T1, expecting mothers completed a scale assessing their contingent self-esteem (Kernis, 2003). When children were eight months-old, mothers reported on the child's frustration-proneness via the Distress to Limitation scale of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire – Revised (Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003). When children were approximately 1.5 years-old, mothers completed three measures. First, a scale assessing their use of CR, based on Assor et al. (2004) measure. Second, a scale assessing mothers' use of harsh power-assertive practices, based on the Harsh Control scale of Shumow et al. (1998), capturing the use of physical force, threats and verbal aggression (yelling) to gain child compliance. Then, mothers completed a brief index of children's developmental level, using a shortened version of the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavioral Scales (Sparrow et al., 2005). Items of the first two measures appeared in a mix order in the questionnaire.
At the age 2-years, children and their mothers participated in a lab procedure assessing children's compliance to maternal request and children's avoidance following unintended violation of adults' request. Children's compliance with maternal prohibition was assessed by the forbidden toy paradigm ("don't" task) and scoring system used by Kochanska and Aksan (1995). Children's avoidance after unintended violation of adults' request was assessed by the mishap procedure, involving contrived transgression (the mishap paradigm, see Barrett et al., 1993; Cole et al., 1992).
Regression analyses (tables 1 and 2) showed that mother-reported use of PCR, but not harsh power-assertive control, with 18-month old toddlers uniquely predicted two 24-month toddler's behaviors: Compliance with mothers' prohibition, and avoidant behaviors in the "mishap" situation when toddlers unintentionally failed to comply. This pattern is consistent with the view of PCR as a "double edged" socializing practice, which may promote compliance, but also has significant emotional costs (Assor et al., 2004). Mothers' CR at18-month was predicted by mothers' prenatal contingent self-esteem, and 8-month infants' frustration-proneness.
The findings provide the best evidence so far that the PCR practice might be both a product and a cause of stressful psychological processes, starting in early childhood.

Group Authors

Tal Dagan, Ohad Ezra, Assor Avi, Judith G. Auerbach, Liat Rabinovtich-Magen, Yaniv Kanat-Maymon

Authors

• Tal Dagan, Ben-Gurion University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Avi Assor, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israe
  Presenting Author