Surgency, Conflict Resolution, and SES Predict Behavior Problems: Support for a Mediation Model of Resilience

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

The role of temperament, a biologically based aspect of individual difference, in resilience has some support in the literature (Agnafors, et al., 2017). However, much remains to be understood about how temperament is influenced by environmental factors over time in its relation to behavioral outcomes. One aspect of temperament that has been understudied in this regard is surgency. Our study takes a biopsychosocial approach in examining how surgency relates to parental conflict resolution tactics, and socioeconomic status to predict behavior problems. In line with research, demonstrating that temperament may affect parenting practices (e.g., Karreman, et al., 2010; Whittig, 2020), we hypothesize that surgency will relate indirectly to behavior problems via parental conflict resolution and further, will be moderated by socioeconomic status (Melchior, et al., 2012).
     Our data were drawn from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) and consisted of 718 participants from cohort three. There were approximately equal numbers of males and females, and cultural and economic diversity in the sample. The predictors were measured at age three and the behavior problems measured at age six. Temperament was measured using the EASI Temperament Survey (Buss, & Plomin, 1984). Parental behavior was examined using the Conflict Tactics for Parent and Child (Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore & Runyan, 1998). High scores indicate more negative tactics. Socioeconomic status (SES) was determined by examining parental income. Outcomes were taken from the total behavior problems scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach1992). High scores indicate more behavior problems.
First, the temperament measure was subjected to a Principle Components Analysis. There were two significant factors, one had high factor loadings on the dimensions associated with surgency. A moderated mediation model was used to test the hypothesis. In Step 1 of the model, the regression of surgency on the mediator, conflict resolution, was significant. Here, high surgency scores were associated with poor conflict resolution. Step 2 also was significant and showed that the mediator, conflict resolution, significantly predicted behavior problems but surgency did not. Here, negative conflict resolution predicted more behavior problems than positive conflict resolution skills. The moderator variable, income, predicted behavior problems but did not moderate surgency (See Figure 1). Here low SES predicted more behavior problems than high SES. In sum, surgency was indirectly related to behavior problems via conflict resolution, and while SES was directly related to behavior problems it did not moderate surgency.
These findings add to the growing body of research supporting biopsychosocial models of resilience. They suggest that while some individual characteristics like surgency may not directly predict behavior, they can be mediated by factors in children’s environments. Such findings speak to the need for a more nuanced understanding of how individual differences contribute to developmental outcomes in the resilience literature.

Authors

• Rosemarie DiBiase, Suffolk University
  Presenting Author

• Molly DuBuc, Suffolk University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Margaret Burns, Suffolk University
  Non-Presenting Author