Parents' emotion expression as a predictor of child's social competence: children with or without intellectual disability

Childhood conduct problems and parent-child talk during social and nonsocial play contexts: a naturalistic home-based experiment

Parent-child interactions are a critical pathway to emotion socialization, with disruption to these processes associated with risk for childhood behavior problems. Using computational linguistics methods, we tested whether (1) play context influenced parent-child socioemotional language, and (2) child conduct problems or callous-unemotional traits were associated with patterns of socioemotional or nonsocial language across contexts. Seventy-nine parent-child dyads (children, 5-6 years old) played a socioemotional skills ("social context") or math ("nonsocial context") game at home. We transcribed and analyzed game play, which had been audio recorded by participants. The social context elicited more socioemotional and cognitive words, while the nonsocial context elicited more mathematical words. The use of socioemotional language by parents and children was more strongly correlated in the social context, but context did not moderate the degree of correlation in cognitive or mathematical word use between parents and children. Children with more conduct problems used fewer socioemotional words in the social context, while children with higher callous-unemotional traits used fewer cognitive words in both contexts. We highlight the role of context in supporting socioemotionally rich parent-child language interactions and provide preliminary evidence for the existence of linguistic markers of child behavior problems. Our results also inform naturalistic assessments of parent-child interactions and home-based interventions for parents and children facing socioemotional or behavioral challenges.

Severity of developmental delay and parenting behavior in toddlers with neurodevelopmental disabilities

Introduction

The presence of a neurodevelopmental disability (ND) represents an adverse condition for child's development and parent-child relationship, and it is reasonable to assume that the severity of delay may influence parenting behavior. Previous research, however, did not specifically address this issue.

Methods

This cross-sectional study compared parental behaviors of mothers of toddlers with moderate/severe or mild/borderline developmental delay and mothers of toddlers with typical development, while considering maternal emotional states. A total of 88 dyads with children aged between 12 and 47 months participated in a 10-min video-recorded interaction then coded with the PICCOLO, a validated observation checklist that assesses four dimensions of parenting: affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching. The mothers also fulfilled two standardized questionnaires assessing parental stress and presence of depressive symptoms. MANOVA and MANCOVA models were used to explore between-group differences in specific parenting dimensions, also considering parental stress.

Results

Mothers of toddlers with ND were less responsive than the comparison group, while the presence of a moderate/severe developmental delay specifically affected teaching behaviors. No differences emerged for affection and encouragement behaviors. Importantly, although mothers of toddlers with moderate/severe ND reported higher child-related dysfunctional interaction stress, this did not directly affect parenting behaviors.

Discussion

These findings highlight how the presence of a disability and the severity of developmental delay can affect specific dimensions of parenting (i.e., responsiveness, teaching) and might inform clinical practice and research on early parental interventions.

The associations of parental attitudes and peer bullying with alexithymia in adolescents: A structural equality model

AIM

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between parental attitude and peer bullying and alexithymia in adolescents.

METHODS

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with adolescents aged 13-18 years within high schools in eastern Turkey. Cluster sampling method was applied, and the study was completed within four high schools determined by random selection method. Sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire form, Peer Bullying Scale Adolescent Form, and Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were used to collect the data.

RESULTS

Among the adolescents, 52% were female, 60% had a medium income level, 25.3% were in the 11th grade, 83% were living with their parents, 7.4% had chronic illnesses, 9.2% had psychiatric illnesses, 25.3% had suicidal thoughts, 10.1% engaged in suicidal behavior, and 25.3% used TV, smartphones, or tablets for 3-4 h a day. Rejecting and indifferent parental attitudes were found to be a possible risk factor for alexithymia, bullying and victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the connections between parental attitudes, peer bullying, and alexithymia in adolescents. By targeting positive parental attitudes and addressing peer interactions, nurses can effectively contribute to reducing the risk of alexithymia.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Through collaboration with parents, nurses can establish supportive environments that nurture emotional understanding. Remaining attentive to risk factors, such as chronic illnesses and mental health issues in adolescents, empowers nurses to offer timely support or referrals. Partnerships with educators further enhance emotional awareness and encourage positive peer relationships.

Maternal and paternal emotion expression and youths' negative emotions: The moderation of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether college students' resting Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) would moderate the association between parental negative dominant and submissive emotion expression and their negative emotions.

METHODS

Participants were 97 Chinese college students (28.87% male, Mage = 19.11, SD =.89). Participants reported their perceived maternal and paternal emotion expression, as well as their negative emotions. Resting RSA was assessed during a laboratory visit.

RESULTS

Parental negative dominant emotion expression was positively related to students' negative emotions. Additionally, the association between paternal negative dominant emotion expression and negative emotions was stronger among students with low (versus high) levels of resting RSA. Nonetheless, no similar association was found in maternal negative emotion expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings contribute important information regarding the different roles of maternal and paternal negative emotion expression in college students' emotional outcomes, and signify the interaction between parental socialization and individual characteristics in human developmental process.

Elaboration of parents' schemas of their children: Unique relations to sensitivity and learning support among families living in poverty

This study examined how distinct aspects of parents' schemas of their children are related to caregiving behaviors. It included 242 families with toddlers and young children, most of whom were living in poverty (37% White, 25% Black, 19% Latine, 17% Multiracial, and 2% Asian; child age = 21-39 months; median family income = $1,555 per month). The elaboration and emotional valence of parents' schemas were coded from brief responses to open-ended questions about children's personality; observations of parents' sensitivity and learning support were assessed in structured and unstructured settings. Results of regression equations controlling for multiple family, parent, and child characteristics revealed that both greater elaboration and positive emotional valence were uniquely related to parents' sensitivity (standardized β = .15, p = .05, and β = .13, p = .04, respectively), but only elaboration was uniquely related to learning support (β = .35, p < .001). This study highlights the special importance of the elaboration of parents' schemas in understanding caregiving behaviors among families living in poverty and the potential value of enhancing elaboration in family-focused preventive interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental styles and attitudes of fathers of children and adolescents with intellectual disability: Do parental styles and attitudes impact children's adaptive behaviour?

BACKGROUND

There is little literature that has explored the paternal role among children with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the study is to characterise parental attitudes and styles of fathers of children with intellectual disabilities, and to analyse their relation to the children's adaptive behaviour.

METHOD

Eighty-three families (fathers and mothers) answered self-report questionnaires, which assessed parenting styles and attitudes, as well as an adaptive behaviour questionnaire about their children with intellectual disabilities between 4 and 18 years of age.

RESULTS

Both parents have a tendency towards an authoritative style of parenting. Fathers (versus mothers) perceive greater parental support but are less involved in their children's lives. Among fathers, the authoritative style was a significant contributor to the child's adaptive behaviour, above and beyond the mother's contribution.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies about parenting should include both mothers and fathers, as paternal parenting styles and attitudes are related to children's adaptive behaviour.

Emotion Socialization and Developmental Risk: Interactive Effects of Receptive Language and Maltreatment on Reminiscing

OBJECTIVES

Emotional reminiscing, or mother-child discussion of past emotional experiences, is a critical aspect of emotion socialization that predicts a range of child outcomes and is central to parent-child interventions. Thus, understanding individual differences in emotional reminiscing will advance our ability to identify families at-risk for poor emotion dialogues and to adapt interventions for diverse populations, such as families affected by maltreatment and mothers and children with low language abilities. The present study examined associations among maternal and child receptive language with emotional reminiscing and the moderating role of maltreatment.

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty three underserved, racially diverse mothers (144 maltreating) and their preschool aged children completed measures of receptive language (PPVT-4). Emotional reminiscing was comprehensively measured using maternal report and observations of emotion dialogues, including ratings of elaborations, maternal sensitive guidance, and child cooperative exploration.

RESULTS

Child language was positively associated with all observed aspects of child reminiscing, and the association between child language and maternal reminiscing was moderated by maltreatment. For non-maltreating families, child language was positively associated with maternal factual elaborations and sensitive guidance. For the maltreating families, these associations were not significant, demonstrating that maltreatment disrupted the association between child language and reminiscing. Maternal language was significantly associated with maternal report of emotion dismissing behaviors, regardless of maltreatment status.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight that language is an essential individual difference factor contributing to variance in emotion dialogues, and that maltreatment influences how child language relates to reminiscing. Future directions and clinical implications for families affected by developmental risk are considered.

Social and conceptual adaptive skills of individuals with Intellectual Disability

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the social and conceptual skills of people with Intellectual Disability.

METHOD

A descriptive study conducted with 100 caregivers, 9 teachers and 100 people with Intellectual Disability from a Philanthropic Institution in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. The participants ages in the study ranged from 9 to 83 years. Three-hundred (300) questionnaires were administered. The data were processed by Factorial Matching Analysis in the Tri-Deux-Mots program .

RESULTS

Considering the factorial correspondence plan, it should be noted that the social skills of students in the age group between 21 and 40 years were related to playing educational games, playing ball with friends and dating. Regarding conceptual skills, students revealed autonomy in relation to school activities, however the caregivers emphasized that they lack autonomy in relation to these skills. In perceiving the realities of students from different classes, teachers presented opposing opinions on dependency and independence issues.

CONCLUSION

Education and health professionals and caregivers can collaborate more effectively in developing the autonomy of people with Intellectual Disability by promoting a more interactive environment which provides skills development and interpersonal relationships without discrimination, disrespect or prejudice.

Emotion socialization and internalizing behavior problems in diverse youth: A bidirectional relationship across childhood

Mothers' and fathers' emotion socialization (ES) practices have been widely associated with child socioemotional outcomes. To extend this research, we examined the bidirectional relationship between parent ES practices (supportive and non-supportive parenting) and internalizing behavior problems in children of Anglo and Latino parents. Participants were 182 mothers and 162 fathers and their children with or without intellectual disability (ID). We compared the stability of mother and father ES practices across child ages 4-8. We utilized cross-lagged panel modeling to examine the bidirectional relationship between parents' ES and child internalizing behavior problems. Emotion socialization practices differed across time by parent gender, with mothers displaying higher levels of supportive parenting and lower levels of non-supportive parenting than fathers. Cross-lagged panel models revealed differential relationships between child internalizing behaviors and emotion socialization practices by parent gender and by ethnicity. Implications for intervening with culturally diverse families of children with ID are discussed.

Maternal control and early child dysregulation: Moderating roles of ethnicity and child delay status

BACKGROUND

Maternal controlling behaviour has been found to influence child development, particularly in behavioural and emotional regulation. Given the higher rates of interfering parent control found in mothers of children with developmental delays (DD) and Latina mothers, their children could be at increased risk for behavioural and emotional dysregulation. While studies generally support this increased risk for children with DD, findings for Latino children are mixed and often attributed to cultural models of child rearing. The present study sought to determine the moderating roles of child DD and mother ethnicity in determining the relationships between two types of parent control (supportive directiveness and interference) and child dysregulation over time.

METHODS

The present study, involving 178 3-year old children with DD (n = 80) or typical development (n = 98), examined observed parent control (directive versus interfering) of Latina and Anglo mothers as it relates to change in preschool child dysregulation over 2 years.

RESULTS

Interfering parent control was greater for children with DD and also for Latino mothers. Supportive directive parenting generally related to relatively greater decline in child behaviour and emotion dysregulation over time, while interfering parenting generally related to less decline in child behaviour dysregulation over time. In Anglo but not Latino families, these relationships tended to vary as a function of child disability.

CONCLUSIONS

Parent directives that support, rather than deter, ongoing child activity may promote positive regulatory development. These results particularly hold for children with DD and Latino families, and have implications for parenting practices and intervention.

Differences in maternal responsive and directive behavior during free play with and without aided AAC

Maternal directive and responsive behaviors were compared for 25 mothers and children with complex communication needs using two types of toys (familiar and unfamiliar toys). Each type of toy play was conducted with and without a single message speech-generating communication device (SGD) programmed to say "more." Rate percentages of coded intervals for maternal directive and responsive behaviors were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs. Results indicated that mothers used significantly more responsive behaviors when playing with their own familiar toys than with unfamiliar toys, but no differences in directiveness between types of play. Mothers showed no differences in responsivity or directiveness when the SGD was added to play interactions, indicating that the SGD did not introduce task features that detracted from the mothers' existing levels of responsivity with their children. Clinical implications are discussed.

Concerns for Individuals with Intellectual Disability in India

Intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) is characterized by deficits in general mental abilities, such as reasoning, problem solving, planning, abstract thinking judgment, academic learning, and learning from experience (DSM V). This neuro developmental disorder is one of the conditions with onset in the developmental period. This condition has been classified into four categories on the basis of the individual's IQ (Intelligence quotient). The objective of the present paper is to highlight some of the areas that are related to the concerns for the people with intellectual disability. The paper focuses on the following topics: 1) Legal services, 2) Challenges faced by parents, 3) Health issues, 4) Sexual knowledge, 5) Marriage, 6) Quality of life, 7) Old age, 8) Attitude of society towards the individual with intellectual disability, 9) Implications, management and prevention for future improvement for individuals with intellectual disability.

Positive Parenting Interacts with Child Temperament and Negative Parenting to Predict Children's Socially Appropriate Behavior

This study examined the effects of parents' positive and negative affect and behavior while interacting with their preschool child and the moderating role of child temperament in predicting children's subsequent difficulty with socially appropriate behavior around school-entry. Independent observational measures were used to assess child temperament (dysphoria; exuberance) and parenting at age 3, and multi-informant reports of child socially appropriate behavior were collected at age 6 (N = 219). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that children's temperamental dysphoria moderated the relationship between positive parenting and later socially appropriate behavior. High- and low-dysphoric children trended in opposite directions; highly dysphoric children experienced greater difficulty with socially appropriate behavior as levels of positive parenting increased, whereas low-dysphoric children experienced less difficulty with socially appropriate behavior with higher levels of positive parenting. There was also an interaction between positive and negative parenting, whereby the combination of elevated positive and negative parenting predicted children's later difficulty with socially appropriate behavior. The findings suggest that positive parenting interacts with early child temperament and negative parenting to impact the development of children's socially appropriate behavior.

Cultural and child-related predictors of distress among Latina caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities

The objective of this article is to examine associations among socioeconomic, cultural, and child factors and maternal distress among families of children with intellectual disabilities (ID). Latino and nonLatino White (NLW) mothers of children with and without ID (N  =  192) reported on familism, language acculturation, maternal distress, child adaptive functioning, and child behavior problems. Among mothers of children with ID, higher levels of child behavior problems mediated the association between Latina ethnicity and elevated maternal distress. Associations between child behavior problems and maternal distress in Latina mothers of children with ID were moderated by single-parent marital status, higher familism, and lower English usage. Thus, child and cultural factors contribute to elevated distress among Latina mothers of children with ID.

Parenting and the parent-child relationship in families of children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities and externalizing behavior

This cross-sectional study examined the association between parenting behavior, the parent-child relationship, and externalizing child behavior in families of children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities (MBID). The families of a child with MBID and accompanying externalizing behavior problems (n=113) reported more positive discipline and physical punishment but less involvement, less positive parenting, less monitoring, a lower sense of parenting competence, less acceptance of the child, and less closeness to the child than the families of a child with MBID and no accompanying externalizing behavior problems (n=71). The parent-child relationship was most strongly associated with externalizing child behavior, over and above parenting behaviors. In addition, the parent-child relationship was found to be associated with parenting behavior, over and above the child's externalizing behavior. Our results highlight the importance of both the parent-child relationship and parenting behavior in connection with the occurrence of externalizing behavior problems on the part of children with MBID. Parenting behavior and the parent-child relationship may thus be promising targets for interventions with this group of children.

Filipino Mothers' Self-Efficacy in Managing Anger and in Parenting, and Parental Rejection as Predictors of Child Delinquency

The authors tested a model in which Filipino mothers' self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation influenced child delinquency via two parenting variables: parental self-efficacy and parental rejection. Structured interviews were conducted with 99 mothers twice with an interval of one year with efficacy beliefs and rejection measured in the first year and child delinquency data collected in the following year. Path analyses showed that self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation negatively predicted child delinquency indirectly through the sequential mediation of parental self-efficacy and parental rejection. Results provided further evidence for the importance of efficacy beliefs, particularly self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation and parental self-efficacy, in the domain of child development.

An examination of Anglo and Latino parenting practices: relation to behavior problems in children with or without developmental delay

The transactional model of development has received empirical support in research on at-risk children. However, little is known about the role of ethnicity or child delay status (i.e., developmental delay [DD] or typical cognitive development [TD]) in the process of parents adapting to their child's behavior problems and special needs. We examined whether Latina (N=44) and Anglo (N=147) mothers of 3-year-old children with or without DD differed in their use of two parenting practices, maternal scaffolding and sensitivity. We also examined how the status and ethnic groups differed in child behavior problems at ages 3 and 5 and whether parenting predicted change in behavior problems over time in the ethnic and status groups. Analyses generally supported previous research on status group differences in behavior problems (DD higher) and parenting practices (TD higher). Parenting practices predicted a decrease in externalizing problems from child age 3 to 5 years among Latino families only. Child developmental status was not associated with change in behavior problems. Cultural perspectives on the transactional model of development and implications for intervention are discussed.

Parent-child problem solving in families of children with or without intellectual disability

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in child social competence and parent-child interactions involving children with intellectual disability (ID) or typical development (TD) during a Parent-Child Problem-Solving Task.

DESIGN

Mothers and their 9-year-old children (n = 122) participated in a problem-solving task in which they discussed and tried to resolve an issue they disagreed about. The interactions were coded on child and mother problem solving and affect behaviours, as well as the dyad's problem resolution.

RESULTS

Children with ID (n = 35) were rated lower on expression/negotiation skills and higher on resistance to the task than children with TD (n = 87). Mothers in the ID group (vs. TD group) were more likely to direct the conversation. However, there were no group differences on maternal feeling acknowledgement, engagement, warmth or antagonism. The ID dyads were less likely to come to a resolution and to compromise in doing so than the TD dyads. These group differences were not attributable to differences in children's behaviour problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with ID and their mothers had more difficulty resolving problems, and this increased difficulty was not explained by greater behaviour problems. Additionally, with the exception of directiveness, mothers of children with ID displayed similar behaviours and affect towards their children during problem solving as mothers of children with TD. Results suggest that the Parent-Child Problem-Solving Task is a useful way to assess social skills and associated parental behaviours in middle childhood beyond self-report. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.

The relation of parent–child interaction qualities to social skills in children with and without autism spectrum disorders

This study examined associations between parent–child interactions and the development of social skills in 42 children (21 typically developing and 21 with autism spectrum disorders) between the ages of 3 years, 0 months and 6 years, 11 months. We expected that positive parent–child interaction qualities would be related to children’s social skills and would mediate the negative relation between children’s developmental status (typical development vs autism spectrum disorders) and social skills. Videotapes of parents and children during a 5-min wordless book task were coded for parent positive affect and emotional support as well as parent–child cohesiveness. Emotional support and cohesiveness were significantly related to children’s social skills, such that higher emotional support and cohesiveness were associated with higher social skills, R2 = .29, p = .02, and R2 = .38, p = .002, respectively. Additionally, cohesiveness mediated the relation between children’s developmental status and social skills. These findings suggest that parent emotional support and cohesiveness between parents and children positively influence children’s social skills. Parent positive affect was unrelated to social skills. Implications of these findings for social skills interventions are discussed, particularly for young children with autism spectrum disorders.

Intrusive fathering, children's self-regulation and social skills: a mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

Fathers have unique influences on children's development, and particularly in the development of social skills. Although father-child relationship influences on children's social competence have received increased attention in general, research on fathering in families of children with developmental delays (DD) is scant. This study examined the pathway of influence among paternal intrusive behaviour, child social skills and child self-regulatory ability, testing a model whereby child regulatory behaviour mediates relations between fathering and child social skills.

METHODS

Participants were 97 families of children with early identified DD enrolled in an extensive longitudinal study. Father and mother child-directed intrusiveness was coded live in naturalistic home observations at child age 4.5, child behaviour dysregulation was coded from a video-taped laboratory problem-solving task at child age 5, and child social skills were measured using independent teacher reports at child age 6. Analyses tested for mediation of the relationship between fathers' intrusiveness and child social skills by child behaviour dysregulation.

RESULTS

Fathers' intrusiveness, controlling for mothers' intrusiveness and child behaviour problems, was related to later child decreased social skills and this relationship was mediated by child behaviour dysregulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Intrusive fathering appears to carry unique risk for the development of social skills in children with DD. Findings are discussed as they related to theories of fatherhood and parenting in children with DD, as well as implications for intervention and future research.

Crouzon syndrome: a social stigma

Crouzon syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused due to genetic mutations. It is characterised by partial hearing loss, dry eyes, strabismus and underdevelopment of the upper jaw with facial deformities and malocclusion. These facial deformities greatly affect the social and emotional development of the affected child. The present case report highlights the social problems faced by a child suffering with Crouzon syndrome.