Parent Contributions to the Coordination of Emotions, Behaviors, and Physiology Among Parent-Child Dyads

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Research examining the parent-child relationship across multiple timescales (seconds, hours, days) reveals that parents and children coordinate their emotions, behaviors, and physiology, and that this coordination can support or hinder child development. However, more nuanced research is needed to understand how individual factors support or disrupt these interpersonal processes. Using innovative methods and examining parent and child relationships across age ranges and domains (emotions, goal-directed behaviors, physiology), this symposium reveals that investigating parents’ emotions, behaviors, and prior experiences is critical for understanding the interpersonal processes shaping child development.

Paper 1 utilizes a person-centered approach to model maternal observed parenting profiles during a challenging parent-child task. Four parenting profiles (sensitive, harsh, detached, and overcontrolling) differentially predict mother-child affective and behavioral coregulation, with sensitive mothers showing the highest positive synchrony.

Paper 2 examines longitudinal associations among maternal distress, intrusiveness, and mother-infant mutual responsiveness in a sample experiencing homelessness. Higher maternal distress is negatively associated with mutual responsiveness, and maternal history of adversity is positively associated with intrusiveness.

Paper 3 reports that parent history of childhood maltreatment (CM) and child average RSA moderate dynamic parent-child RSA synchrony. Notably, when parent CM is higher, mothers respond with RSA increases to child reactivity whereas fathers respond with RSA decreases, shaping whether dyadic parent-child RSA is synchronous or dyssynchronous.

Paper 4 reports that adolescent bedtime cortisol is positively associated with parent bedtime cortisol through higher parental cognitive interference. Utilizing autoregressive cross-lagged models, parent gender moderates this finding, with partial mediation evident for mothers but not fathers.

Sub Unit

• Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Chair

• Frances M. Lobo, University of Texas at Austin

Individual Presentations

• Maternal Parenting Profiles and Mother-Child Coregulation of Affect and Behavior - Presenting Author: Frances M. Lobo, University of Texas at Austin; Non-Presenting Author: Erika S. Lunkenheimer, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

• Parent-Child Relationship Quality Among Dyads with Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Family Homelessness - Non-Presenting Author: Janette E. Herbers, Villanova University; Presenting Author: Kristin Jennings, Villanova University; Non-Presenting Author: J. J. Cutuli, Nemours Children’s Health System; Non-Presenting Author: Maria Y Abdul-Masih, Ohio State University; Non-Presenting Author: Aarti Bodas, Boston University

• Deconstructing Parent-Child RSA Synchrony: The Effects of Child and Parent Factors on the Dynamic Reactivity of Mothers and Fathers at Risk - Presenting Author: Anna Fuchs, The Pennsylvania State University; Non-Presenting Author: Erika S. Lunkenheimer, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Non-Presenting Author: Kayla Melissa Brown, Advocates for Human Potential

• Child Effects on Parents’ Bedtime Cortisol: Cognitive Interference as a Mediating Mechanism - Presenting Author: Melissa A Lippold, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Non-Presenting Author: Peter Molenaar, The Pennsylvania State University; Non-Presenting Author: Kelly D Chandler, Oregon State University; Non-Presenting Author: Soomi Lee, University of South Florida; Non-Presenting Author: David M. Almeida