Examining Parenting Behaviors as Predictors of Children’s Peer Competence in Middle Childhood

• In Event: Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Topic - Social Relationships

Abstract

Children’s peer competence is linked with important short- and long-term developmental outcomes (Parker & Asher, 1987). Parenting behaviors have been identified as a primary predictor of children’s peer competence (McDowell & Parke, 2000). Most prior research examining these associations is cross-sectional, uses self- or other-report, and focuses on low-risk samples. We expand this literature by examining prospective associations between parental behavior and children’s peer competence in middle childhood. Parental behavior and peer competence are coded from interaction tasks, providing more objective measures of these constructs than self-reports reveal. Lastly, our sample consists of families who may be at-risk for developing parenting and peer competence difficulties.

Participants included 149 parent-child dyads in a longitudinal study of a parenting intervention. Table 1 contains demographic information. Dyads participated when children were ages 8 and 9. During the 8-year assessment, dyads planned the child’s perfect birthday. Video-recorded interactions were coded for parental sensitivity, intrusiveness, positive regard, detachment, and frightening behaviors. During the 9-year assessment, children were in small, same-sex peer groups for an unsupervised lunch break. Video-recorded peer groups were coded for perspective taking, dominance, attention seeking, bullying, redirecting peers from disrupting behaviors, self-isolation, and warmth. Preliminary analyses revealed that three demographics (child sex, household income, and risk status) were associated with parenting and peer competence.

We examined partial correlations among the parenting behaviors and peer competence dimensions, controlling for the three demographic variables (see Table 2). Unexpectedly, children with parents who showed sensitivity and positive regard (behaviors typically regarded as adaptive) engaged in more attention seeking than children whose parents showed less sensitivity and positive regard. Similarly, parental detachment (typically regarded as maladaptive) was prospectively associated with children engaging in less attention seeking. These findings suggest that sensitive parenting may be linked with positive facets of attention seeking, such as active engagement with unfamiliar peers. However, attention seeking may not be entirely positive. For instance, it correlates with bullying and dominance in this study. Further work is needed to understand the nature and function of attention seeking in middle childhood.

As expected, children with more detached parents during the interaction task were more likely to isolate themselves from peers than children with parents who were less detached. Relatedly, parental detachment was negatively associated with children’s dominance. Against expectations, children with more detached parents were more likely to redirect peers from disruptive behaviors (e.g., messing with others’ belongings, being rowdy, playing with food) than children who had less detached parents. This could be because children of detached parents want to avoid being associated with peers whose disruptive behaviors draw attention from others. Alternatively, their willingness to redirect peers may stem from being unconcerned with peer approval.

Our findings suggest that sensitive parenting may support children to successfully navigate peer relationships during middle childhood. Since other evidence demonstrates that positive peer relations in childhood may protect against developing problematic adolescent behaviors, it is important to support parents so they can support children to foster healthy peer relations and promote longer-term social development.

Authors

• Emma Greenberg, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Stacia Valerie Bourne, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mary Dozier, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author