Poster #58 - Bidirectional Relationship Between Harsh Parenting and Child Externalizing Behaviors, and Child and Household Regulation

• In Event: Poster Session 03

Abstract

Socialization between parent and child is bidirectional, and these processes influence child development. The bidirectional patterns develop over time; the child's behavior problems increase the parents’ use of more harsh and coercive discipline, which in turn escalates the development of the child’s behavior problems (Patterson, 2016). Importantly, these bidirectional patterns operate within a broader context of individual and household regulation. Children with lower self-regulation struggle with modulating their negative emotions and regulating their behavior appropriately when faced with environmental demands (Karreman et al., 2009). Also, household dysregulation (i.e., lack of routines, unpredictability) taxes parents' and children’s regulation capacities in challenging situations (Andrews et al., 2021).

Hypotheses: We hypothesize that 1) longitudinally from 8 to 12 years, HP will predict subsequent EXT and vice versa; and 2) there will be a stronger bidirectional relation between HP and EXT among children with lower executive function (EF) and effortful control (EC) and households that are higher in dysregulation, compared to those children with higher EF and EC and households that are lower in dysregulation.

Methods: Participants included children from 8- to 12-year-olds and their parents (n =311 families) in a socioeconomically diverse sample. Questionnaires were completed at 8, 10 and 12 years, and included: Discipline interview (Lansford et al., 2005); Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire-Short Form (Rohner, 2005); Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991); Chaos, Hubbub, and Order Scald (Matheny et al., 1995); Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (Ellis & Rothbart, 2001). Children completed the Stroop, backward digit span (Wechsler, 1974) and Tower of London (Shallice, 1982) tasks. We conducted cross-lagged panel models using MPLUS software.

Results:
Maternal parenting: EXT at age 8 marginally significantly predicted subsequent HP at age 10 (B = .013, p = .057), in turn, predicted subsequent EXT at age 12 (B = 1.65, p < .001). The cross-lagged effects varied as a function of household regulation (B = -.020, p = .034) and EC (B = -.148, p = .014; B = -.129, p = .003). Specifically, the pathway from EXT at age 8 to HP age 10 was only significant for low and mean levels of chaotic homes. The pathway from EXT at age 10 to HP at age 12 was only significant for children high in EC, while the pathway from HP at age 10 to EXT at age 12 was only significant for low and mean levels of children EC.

Paternal parenting: EXT at age 8 predicted subsequent HP at age 10 (B = .039, p = .003). EXT at age 10 predicted subsequent HP at age 12 (B = .036, p = .007). The cross-lagged effects varied as a function of EC (B = .10, p = .001) and household regulation (B = -.052, p = .008). The pathway from EXT at age 8 to HP at age 10 was only significant for low and mean levels of children EC and chaotic homes.

Conclusion: Results were mixed. The role of child and household regulation on the bidirectional association between HP and EXT will be discussed.

Authors

• Yelim Hong, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Presenting Author

• Kirby Deater-Deckard, University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Ann T. Skinner, Duke Univeristy

• Jennifer E. Lansford, Duke University