Parental Attachment and Locus of Control Moderate the Association between Punishment and Social Support

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

Childhood harsh punishment is associated with numerous negative social and emotional outcomes, including lower levels of social support in adulthood (Harmer, Sanderson, & Mertin, 1999). However, research has shown that contextual factors, such as levels of emotional support, can buffer the outcome of harsh punishment on children’s problem behaviors (McLoyd & Smith, 2002), perhaps signaling a shift of perspective from harsh and unwarranted to appropriate and loving. Another factor that may change the interpretation of punishment is locus of control. Perceptions about controllability of outcomes may also influence whether punishment is interpreted as justified or unwarranted.
Therefore, we hypothesized that parental attachment would moderate the effect of harsh punishment on social support such that high parental attachment would serve as a buffer against the effects of harsh punishment. We further hypothesized that this moderating effect would be stronger for those who endorse a more external locus of control, because these individuals would attribute punishment to something beyond their control.
Participants were a sample of 2,747 college students (61.3% female; 50.8% Asian, 28% Latinx, 15% White, 5.9% Black) who completed an anonymous computer survey in groups of 16 in on-campus computer labs. Harsh punishment (Child Abuse and Trauma Scale [CATS]; Sanders & Becker-Lausen, 1995), social support (Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire [FSSQ]; Broadhead et. al., 1988), parent attachment (Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment [IPPA]; Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), and locus of control (Rotter Locus of Control Scale; Rotter, 1966) were assessed.
Harsh punishment in childhood predicted decreased levels of adult social support (b = -2.025, SE = .753, p = .007). Further, there was a significant three-way interaction between harsh punishment, locus of control, and parental attachment (b = -.002, SE = .001, p = .001). Specifically, for those with high parental attachment, regardless of locus of control, more harsh punishment was associated with lower levels of social support (Internal: b = -.261, SE = .113, p = .021 & External: b = -.313, SE = .11, p = .005 ). Whereas for those with low parental attachment, locus of control was a significant moderator. Specifically, for those with internal locus of control, harsh punishment was not significantly related to social support (b = -.118, SE = .084, p = .160), whereas for those with an external locus of control harsh punishment was associated with higher social support levels, (b = .448, SE = .109, p < .001).
These findings suggest that the consequences of harsh punishment can be altered by attributions. For those with an internal locus of control and high parent attachment, punishment may be perceived as something for which one feels self-blame. Those with an external locus of control and low parent attachment, on the other hand, may be less prone to self-blame, and instead may recognize their parents’ limitations and seek support from sources outside the family. These findings highlight the importance of the context and attributions of harsh punishment, and suggest key targets for modification in interventions for children who have experienced harsh punishment.

Authors

• Christian Garcia, California State University - Northridge
  Presenting Author

• Sara R. Berzenski, California State University - Northridge
  Non-Presenting Author