The Effect of Covid-19 Experience of Children on Externalizing Behaviors: A Moderated Moderation Model of Temperament and Perceived Parenting

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Externalizing behavior problems are related to parenting as well as the temperament of the child (van Aken et al., 2007). The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of people around the world in an unprecedented way (Singh et al., 2020). The COVID-19 measures created mobility limitations, ambiguity, increased familial stress and control, and lack of social activities. All of these novel changes create risk factors for children’s externalizing behaviors (Phelps and Sperry, 2020). A new study showed that children are more irritable, restless, and nervous in quarantine (Orgilés ve ark., 2020). It was known that high negative affectivity is associated with externalizing behaviors (Northerner et al., 2016). Besides, it is considered that negative parenting such as rejection and control is a risk factor for developing externalizing behaviors. On the other hand, positive parenting including inductive reasoning and parental warmth has a protective effect on externalizing behaviors (Gartstein and Fagot, 2003). The new circumstances related to pandemic can increase externalizing behaviors in children and adolescents but it is considered that temperament and parenting have a critical role in the trajectory of externalizing behaviors. The current study aims to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 experience of children on externalizing behaviors by considering the moderating roles of temperament and parenting. The followings are hypothesized:
1.Children who have high negative affectivity will be impacted more negatively from the pandemic and have higher levels of externalizing problems.
2.Children who perceive negative parenting will be impacted more negatively from the pandemic and have higher levels of externalizing problems.
3.Children who perceive positive parenting will be impacted less negatively from the pandemic and have lower levels of externalizing problems.
4.Children who have high negative affectivity and perceive negative parenting will be impacted most negatively from the pandemic and have the highest levels of externalizing problems.

Time 1 data were collected before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as a part of a national study. 364 mothers and their children from secondary and high schools in Turkey participated in the study. Time 2 data collection was planned to be completed between October and December 2020. The participation of the same mother-child dyads is aimed. Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire (Muris and Meesters, 2009) and Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach and Rescorla, 2001) will be completed by mothers. The children will be asked for completing Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Rohner & Khaleque, 2005), Parental Psychological Control Scale (Barber, 1996), Inductive Reasoning (Paterson and Sanson, 1999) to examine perceived parenting. All of these measurements were used in Time 1 and will be used in Time 2. The Impact of Events Scale-Revised (Weiss & Marmar, 1997) will be used in Time 2 to examine the COVID-19 experience of children.
The study is designed based on the PROCESS macro moderated moderation model. Hierarchical regression analysis (2 and 3-way interactions) will be used to test our hypotheses and covariate analysis will be used to control Time 1 data and to examine the difference between Time 2 and Time 1.

Authors

• Rana Durmuş, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi (METU)
  Presenting Author

• Sibel KazakBerument, Middle East Technical University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Basak Sahin-Acar, Middle East Technical University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Aysun Dogan, Ege University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Deniz Tahiroglu, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi (BOUN)
  Non-Presenting Author