When Parents Wear Dark Glasses: An Experimental Test of the Effects of Parental Attributions on Parenting

• In Event: Parental Attributions: Why do they matter?

Abstract

Introduction: This experimental study aimed to advance our understanding of negative parental attributions and how they relate and lead to specific parenting practices and cognitions. We differentiated between parent-causal attributions (identifying one’s parenting or parent characteristics as cause for the child’s behavior) and child-responsible attributions (identifying the child as responsible for the behavior). Specifically, we examined: 1) How different measures of attributions (global, specific and spontaneous) relate to the two types of attributions; 2) How negative attributions relate to specific parent’s behavior and characteristics (stress, temperament, parental self-efficacy); 3) Whether these attributions can be modified; and 4) How reducing negative attributions affects parenting.
Method: Data were collected from 78 parents and their 3 to 5-year-old children (M = 51.67 months, SD = 8.56) in a lab experiment. Parents were randomly assigned to conditions (parent-causal, child-responsible or control) aimed to reduce attributions in the context of a challenging situation. We manipulated attributions through verbal and video-feedback on difficult moments between parent and child. We observed parenting behavior during play interactions in which frustration was induced (before and after manipulation), collected physiological measures on reactivity (cortisol, heartrate, skin conductance), parents’ spontaneous attributions (using Five Minutes Sample Speech) and parent reports on attributions, self-efficacy, stress, parenting, child behavior, and temperament.
Results: Results showed associations between attributions and parent’s behavior and characteristics, and that these associations were stronger for parent-causal than child-responsible attributions. Experimental manipulation of attributions reduced situation-specific negative attributions, but not global attributions or parenting behavior.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest parental attributions are a node in the complex parenting network related to other parental cognitions, affect, and behavior. Understanding the causal effects and malleability of attributions may contribute to the development of parenting process theory and interventions.

Authors

• Benedicte Mouton, University of Brussels (ULB)
  Presenting Author

• Joyce Weeland, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Patty Leijten, University of Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Geertjan Overbeek, University of Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author