Poster #93 - Developmental Change in Parent Child Informant Discrepancies

• In Event: Poster Session 09

Abstract

Young people often rate their family communication more negatively than their parents (Zhang et al., 2021) and those who do are more likely to exhibit maladaptive outcomes (e.g., Hou et al., 2017). Recent theoretical and empirical work suggests that discrepancies between youth- and parent-reports of family dynamics reflects a substantive construct with meaningful implications for developmental outcomes (De Los Reyes & Ohannessian, 2016). Yet, few studies have examined whether reporter discrepancies change across time and if those changes correspond to changes in negative functioning. Thus, the aim of the current study is to examine changes in one aspect of family functioning, hostile and coercive parenting – i.e., harsh words, corporal punishment, etc. (Baron & Malmberg, 2019) – and associations with negative outcomes.

Data came from the Iowa Youth and Families study, a publicly accessible 4-year longitudinal study of 451 7th graders (female = 52.3%), their mothers, and their fathers. We examined associations longitudinal change in discrepancies between youth and parent report of harsh parenting practices. Using latent growth curve models, we found that youth-report differed from mother-report (Int = 0.29, p < .001) and father-report (Int = 0.24, p < .001). Across adolescence, discrepancies declined significantly between youth- and mother-report (Slope = -0.03, p < .001) but not between youth- and father- report (Slope = -0.02, p > .05). Across grades, discrepancies between youth and father were associated with greater symptoms of anxiety (B=0.20, p < .01) but not depression (B=-0.02, p > .05) but discrepancies between youth- and mother-report were not associated with anxiety (B=0.01, p > .05) nor depression (B=0.03, p > .05).

The current study sheds light on the developmental nature of informant discrepancies. Finding declines in discrepancies between mother- and youth-report across time may point to a normative process; as relationships become marked by greater equality (e.g., Russell et al., 1998) and adolescents gain autonomy (e.g., Grotevant & Cooper, 1986), both mother and child may show more correspondence in their reports of parenting practices. Indeed, past work suggests older adolescents are more realistic in their ratings than younger adolescents (Shubert et al., 2022). Interestingly, father and adolescent discrepancies did not change across time. Perhaps youth and father-reports become more similar at later ages, future work may benefit from examining a wider age range. Echoing calls for continued research on fathers specifically, future work may benefit from continued examination of differences in the roles of fathers in family functioning, especially given links between discrepancies and symptoms of internalizing disorders.

Authors

• Andrew Marshall, Utah Valley University
  Presenting Author

• Yuliya Black, Utah Valley University

• Jennifer C. Shubert, Utah Valley University