Evocative Effects of Child Temperament on Parenting Stress and Behaviors

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Despite recognition that parents contribute to child development, much remains to be clarified about ways child characteristics shape parents’ behaviors. For example, temperamental characteristics such as negative affectivity may be associated with more difficult to manage behaviors eliciting more parenting stress (Oddi et al., 2013) and less effecting parenting behaviors (Laukkanen, et al., 2014). Children’s effortful control (EC) however reduces psychological risks associated with negative affectivity (Gartstein, Putnam, & Rothbart, 2012) and may consequently reduce parenting stress. Furthermore, stressed parents are more likely to engage in less effective parenting strategies that may compromise the quality of interactions with their child (Winstone, Curci, & Crnic, 2020). Although it has largely been assumed that challenging temperament characteristics may evoke poorer quality parenting behaviors by increasing parent stress (Calkins, Hungerford, & Dedmon, 2004), no studies have tested the veracity of these assumptions. This two-part study drew data from two independent samples to examine whether child temperamental negativity would be associated with parenting stress and positive parenting behaviors and whether associations would vary depending on children’s regulatory capacity.

Study 1 was a cross-sectional study of a sample of 46 3.5- to 5-year-old children and their parents from racially diverse, majority low-income families. Parents reported on child temperament and different forms of parenting stress, including parent distress and parent dissatisfaction with parent-child interactions. Parent-child free play interactions were recorded and coded for positive parenting behaviors (e.g., supportive presence, quality of assistance, respect for autonomy, and engagement/enthusiasm). Study 2 was a prospective, longitudinal study of 322 low-income, Mexican American families. Mothers reported on child temperament and parenting stress at 1.5 and 2 years, respectively. Mother-child free play interactions were recorded and coded for maternal sensitivity (e.g., parent acknowledging, positive affect, resourcefulness, and praising) at 3 years.

Results were similar across samples. Higher child temperamental negative affectivity (NA) was directly associated with greater parenting stress in both studies, and with fewer positive parenting behaviors in study 1. Child regulation abilities exerted more nuanced associations with parenting stress, and showed both direct and indirect effects across studies. In study 1, EC was directly associated with less parenting dissatisfaction. In study 2, orienting/regulation moderated the relation between NA and parenting stress, B=-4.87, SE=1.93, p=.021. Results of simple slope analyses show that NA was only significantly associated with more parenting stress at low, B=10.40, SE =1.58, p<.001, and mean levels of regulation, B=6.80, SE =1.19, p<.001, but not high B=3.21, SE =1.86, p<.09. However, parent stress did not mediate the relation between NA and positive parenting behaviors in either study.

The present study lends support for the notion that NA may evoke more parenting stress. However, children’s orienting/regulation may buffer against the consequences of NA on parent stress. Nevertheless, NA demonstrated more robust associations with parent stress than regulation abilities. The extent to which differences in study design (e.g., longitudinal v. cross-sectional; inclusion of mothers and fathers v. mothers only) and sample characteristics (e.g., ethnic composition, age) may lend insight into convergent and divergent findings will be discussed.

Authors

• Laura Welch, State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany)
  Presenting Author

• Laura K. Winstone-Weide, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Betty Lin, State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Linda J. Luecken, Arizona State University
  Non-Presenting Author