Attributional biases in aggressive children and their mothers

To investigate if mothers and their aggressive children share the tendency to infer hostile motives from others' behavior in ambiguous social situations, 100 pairs of mothers and their clinic-referred or comparison children (50 boys and 50 girls) were asked to interpret hypothetical situations involving both overtly and relationally provocative scenarios. Results replicated previous findings of studies on social information processing of aggressive children and extended the findings to mothers of aggressive children. Findings were generally consistent with the hypothesis that mothers of aggressive children tend to view others' ambiguous actions as hostile, increasing the probability of responding with aggression and, in effect, modeling a hostile attributional bias for their children. Examinations of mothers' and their children's attributional and behavioral intentions suggested that mothers' and daughters' attributions and behavioral intentions were significantly correlated, whereas mothers' and sons' were not. Gender effects with regard to provocation type are also discussed.     

Parenting and marital trust in Japan

This study examined the relationship between marital trust, mothers' parenting stress and maladjusted parenting behavior in Japan. The participants consisted of 327 Japanese mothers who reside in the greater Tokyo area and whose children go to kindergarten or nursery school (the children's ages range from 3 to 6 years. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires about their family structure (nuclear or extended family), demographic information about their child (sex, age, birth order. etc.), marital trust, parenting stress, and maladjusted childrearing behavior. Analysis indicated that the relationship between marital trust, mothers' parenting stress and maladjusted childrearing behavior was different depending on the family structure. More specifically, for mothers in nuclear families, marital trust, especially the sense of being trusted by the husband, was associated with parenting behavior directly as well as indirectly via parenting stress. In contrast, for mothers in an extended family marital trust was not associated with maternal parenting behavior. The results were discussed in terms of the differences in the availability of social support in a nuclear family compared to the extended family.     

Anxiety within families: interrelations, consistency, and change

In a community sample of mothers (N = 763), each with a focal child aged 4.5 years, anxiety levels were high. Only 54% of mothers had anxiety scores within the "normal" Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) range, compared with 85% for depression. A subsample (N = 116) was selected for two-parent families, one to three children, and mothers spread over low, medium, and high anxiety levels. Mothers' anxiety was not significantly related to age, education, or work status, but rather to mothers' and fathers' independent ratings of marital satisfaction and family functioning, and to fathers' own anxiety and depression. Fathers' anxiety was related not to their own views of marital satisfaction and family functioning, but rather to mothers' views and to maternal anxiety. Assessments 8 years later--of anxiety, depression, and family functioning--showed high consistency over time, particularly maternal anxiety (r = .70) and paternal depression (r = .81). Although means did not change significantly over time for fathers, mothers' anxiety, depression, and perceptions of family functioning all improved (p < .001). For parents who were later to separate (compared with the others), initial family functioning, dyadic adjustment, and maternal anxiety were significantly "worse." The strongest predictor of later break-up was fathers' dyadic adjustment.     

Relation of attitude toward body elimination to parenting style and attitude toward the body

The purpose was to estimate the relation of attitude toward body elimination in 93 college students (27 men and 66 women), to authoritarian personality features, participants' perception of their mothers' parenting style, and attitudes toward cleanliness, sex, and family nudity. Subjects were administered the Body Elimination Attitude Scale, the Four-item F Scale, the Parental Authority Questionnaire Pertaining to Mothers, and the items "Sex is dirty," "Cleanliness is next to godliness," and "Children should never see other family members nude." Larger scores for disgust toward body elimination were associated with authoritarian personality characteristics, being less likely to describe mother's parenting style as authoritative (open communication) and more likely to describe it as authoritarian and lower scores for tolerance for family nudity. Implications for further research were suggested.     

PATERNAL SEPARATION ANXIETY:

Employed mothers of young children worry about the effects of daily separation on their children Do fathers have similar anxieties? Because fathers are expected to leave the home and go to work, psychologists have not studied fathers' concerns about daily separation from their babies and pre-school children In this study, we investigated fathers' and mothers' separation anxiety and the relationships between separation anxiety and family and child-care characteristics The sample included 589 married couples from a larger study of families and center-based child care Data were collected through in-home and center visits Fathers and mothers had similar levels of Separation Anxiety However, fathers reported slightly higher Concern for the Child, and mothers reported higher Employment Concerns Fathers' perceptions of their wives' anxieties were higher by half a standard deviation compared with mothers' reports Fathers' and mothers self reported separation anxieties were modestly correlated Paternal separation anxiety was most strongly associated with fathers' perceptions of their wives' separation concerns, not with mothers' reported anxieties, which suggested ego defensiveness and projection     

Threat interpretation in anxious children and their mothers: comparison with nonclinical children and the effects of treatment

Interpretation biases towards threat play a prominent role in cognitive theories of anxiety, and have been identified amongst highly anxious adults and children. Little is known, however, about the development of these cognitive biases although family processes have been implicated. The current study investigated the nature of threat interpretation of anxious children and their mothers through (i) comparison of a clinic and non-clinic population, (ii) analysis of individual differences; and (iii) pre- and post-treatment comparisons. Participants were 27 children with a primary anxiety disorder and 33 children from a non-clinic population and their mothers. Children and mothers completed self-report measures of anxiety and indicated their most likely interpretation of ambiguous scenarios. Clinic and non-clinical groups differed significantly on measures of threat interpretation. Furthermore, mothers' and children's threat interpretation correlated significantly. Following treatment for child anxiety, both children and their mothers reported a reduction in threat interpretation.     

Similarities and differences among three generations of women in attitudes toward the female role in contemporary society

A three-generational sample of 103 college women, 88 of their mothers, and 30 of their maternal grandmothers responded to questionnaires containing the Spence and Helmreich Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS). Intrafamily matched pair analysis tested hypotheses of intergenerational similarities and differences; and several potential correlates of attitudes toward female roles in contemporary society were investigated. Major intergenerational differences prevailed, with younger generations being more profeminist. The extent of difference varied by issue. Participation in the labor force was correlated with liberal views, but the degree of liberality seemed best interpreted in terms of enlightened self-interest.     

父母婚姻质量与儿童行为问题的追踪研究：儿童努力控制的调节作用

本研究采用母亲报告法,对474名学前儿童进行了为期一年的追踪研究,考察完整家庭中父母婚姻质量对儿童行为问题的影响,以及儿童努力控制的调节作用。结果表明:(1) 父母婚姻质量对学前儿童的外显和内隐行为问题均有即时的负向预测作用;(2) 儿童的努力控制对其当前、后期的外显和内隐行为问题均有负向预测作用;(3) 第一年儿童的努力控制对父母婚姻质量与儿童行为问题之间关系的调节作用成立。     

婴幼儿消极行为特征与影响母亲抚养困难的因素

以５７２名１－６岁儿童的母亲为研究对象,探讨了婴幼儿消极行为特征在各年龄组的分布、与母亲抚养困难的关系,并考察了在儿童消极行为较多情况下,与母亲抚养困难有关联的若干因素。结果表明;１．儿童消极行为特征的分布在各年龄组水平上是相似的。２．儿童的消极行为特征与母亲的抚养困难有显著的正相关。３．在儿童消极行为较多的情况下,母亲的职业、文化程度、生产年龄、婚姻关系及获得社会支持的程度等因素与母亲抚养困难有密切的关系。     

Children's and adults' sex-stereotyped perceptions of infants

Sex-stereotyped perceptions of infants were examined in children (aged 5, 9, and 15 years), college students, and the children's mothers. The children and college students as a group rated labeled female infants as littler and as more beautiful, nice, and soft than labeled male infants, with no age changes in sex-stereotyped perceptions. The mothers as a group were not influenced by the labeled sex manipulation. The 5-year-olds rated the infants the least favorably and the mothers rated the infants the most favorably. Girls rated the infants as more beautiful than the boys did. Finally, the mothers with higher masculinity scores and their sons showed less sex-stereotyped perceptions of the infants than mothers with lower masculinity scores and their sons.     

Correlates of child abuse potential

Coercion theory provided the theoretical rationale for the present study. The hypothesis was that mothers' reports of child behavior problems and mothers' reports of external locus of control would be related to abuse potential. A total of 95 mother-child pairs were screened for child abuse potential during visits to a hospital-based pediatrie clinic. Following brief interviews, mothers completed three measures: Milner's Child Abuse Potential Inventory, Levenson's Locus of Control Scales, and the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Perceptions of control by powerful others and by chance were related to abuse potential for mothers of both sexes. Mothers' reports of their sons' anxiety-withdrawal and conduct-disorder behavior problems were related to abuse potential. There was a significant association among lie scores, internality, and abuse potential for mothers of female children. Mothers with high abuse potential reported significantly more behavior problems in their children. The findings were discussed in relation to coercion theory.Portions of this paper were presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Detroit, April 1983. This research was conducted by the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. at the University of Miami under the direction of Drs. Keith G. Scott and Annette M. La Greca. The first author wishes to thank the members of the committee, Drs. Herbert C. Quay, Simon B. Miranda, Daryl Greenfield, and Julia Rosenkrans, for their many contributions. Also, special thanks to the University of Miami Child Protection Team for their continuous support and guidance, and special appreciation to the mothers and children who participated in the study.     

Asian values and perceptions of intergenerational family conflict among Asian American students

This investigation explores the perceptions of intergenerational family conflict among 93 Asian American college students from immigrant families in relation to reported discrepancies in Asian values with their parents, behavioral acculturation, gender, and ethnicity (Chinese and Korean). The study is unique in its examination of parent gender and specific dimensions of Asian values as predictors of perceived parent-child conflict. The findings indicated that as discrepancies in Asian values with either parent increased, reports of parent-child conflict also increased. Values discrepancies, but not behavioral acculturation, were significantly associated with perceived family conflicts. Independent hierarchical regression models revealed a significant association between conflict ratings and values discrepancies with mothers on the dimension of Conforming to Family Norms, and with fathers on the dimension of Education/Career Issues. However, interaction effects within a combined model to test beta coefficients differences between parents were not significant. Results also suggest that intergenerational conflict may be associated with discrepancy on Respecting Elders. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.     

Quality of mother-child interaction and the intergenerational transmission of sexual values: a panel study

The role of mothers as socializing agents was examined in a longitudinal study. It was assumed that mothers can transmit their own values to their children, especially if the quality of their interaction is good. Whether children influence their mothers' values was also examined. The hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and structural equation modeling, drawing on data from 253 English adolescent-mother pairs. The results provided little support for the hypotheses. There was some evidence that mothers influenced their children's sexual attitudes, but this effect was found for the families characterized by a low quality of parent-child interaction, rather than for the families characterized by a high quality of interaction. No evidence was found for the assumption that children influence their mothers' sexual attitudes and beliefs. Implications of the study for future research are discussed.     

Caregiving by low‐income adolescent mothers and the language abilities of their 30‐month‐old children

The primary question of interest in this study was: Are the caregiving practices of low‐income, teenage mothers during the first 2 years of their children's lives predictive of individual differences in the language abilities of their 30‐month‐old children? This question was addressed with a sample of 76 teenage mothers and their children who were participating in a family support program. Various measures of caregiving behavior, assessed when the children were 6, 12, and 24 months old, were significantly related to scores on the Preschool Language Scale—3, the Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and Receptive One‐Word Picture Vocabulary Tests of the children.     

The Influence of Early Life Course Religious Exposure on Young Adults' Dispositions Toward Childbearing

Previous research about religion and childbearing focuses on childbearing behavior, yet is motivated by the idea that behavioral outcomes result from the influence of religion on individuals' childbearing dispositions. This article describes how early life religious exposure may influence young adults' childbearing attitudes and preferences as they transition to adulthood. Analyses of intergenerational panel data suggest that, compared with others, young adults with Catholic mothers, or mothers who frequently attend religious services, are more likely to object to voluntary childlessness, to feel the average American family should have more children, and to desire many children for themselves. The effect of having a Catholic mother appears to operate through the mother's own dispositions and behaviors. The effect of their mothers' religious service attendance operates through the young adults' own religious participation and the importance they place on religion. The consistent effects of early life religious exposure on subsequent child-bearing dispositions outweigh the effects of socioeconomic factors and point to religion as an influential institution in the formation of child-bearing preferences.     

Body Dissatisfaction in College Women and Their Mothers: Cohort Effects, Developmental Effects, and the Influences of Body Size, Sexism, and the Thin Body Ideal

A study of body dissatisfaction, as measured by the Figure Rating Scale (Stunkard, Sorenson, & Schlusinger, 1983) and the Body Esteem Scale (Franzoi & Shields, 1984), in 75 college women and their mothers indicated that both daughters and mothers experienced body dissatisfaction. When body size was statistically controlled, either no difference was found between the groups or daughters were found to have greater body dissatisfaction than mothers. The results supported the hypotheses that (1) there are generational differences in body dissatisfaction, (2) both cohort and developmental effects contribute to these differences, and (3) that a developmental effect (mothers' greater body size) may obscure a cohort effect (daughters' greater exposure to the thin body ideal). Body dissatisfaction measures based on the mothers' retrospective ratings of how they felt at their daughters' age were consistent with these hypotheses. Relationships between body dissatisfaction and the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire (Heinberg, Thompson, & Stormer, 1995) were stronger and more frequent for daughters than for mothers and for the Internalization Scale than for the Awareness Scale. Relationships between the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (Glick & Fiske, 2001) and body dissatisfaction were stronger for mothers than for daughters and for Benevolent Sexism than for Hostile Sexism.     

Training versus nontraining of mothers as home reading tutors

The effectiveness of training mothers as home reading tutors was assessed using a sample of 42 mother-child pairs. The children were aged 8 to 9 yr. Analyses showed that the amount of time parents spent listening to a child read at home was positively related to both reading accuracy and comprehension scores. A short group-program training mothers as home reading tutors achieved the anticipated changes in mothers' behaviours: delayed intervention, increased use of meaning and contextual cues rather than direct word prompts, and greater use of praise. Children's reading accuracy was marginally improved and reading comprehension was significantly increased as a result of training the mothers as home reading tutors.     

Intergenerational effects of the Holocaust: patterns of engagement in the mother-daughter relationship

The present study explored the quality of engagement between mothers and adult daughters. Daughters of Holocaust survivors, European immigrants, and nonimmigrants were compared on mothers' protectiveness and care during their daughters' first 16 years, and on daughters' individuation from the family of origin. The survivor group perceived themselves as less individuated from both their parents than the other two groups. However, daughters in the three groups reported feeling equally intimate with their parents. There were no significant group differences found on intergenerational intimidation or competing loyalties. There was a tendency for mothers in the survivor group to be perceived as more indulgently protective. These findings suggest that the relationship between survivor mothers and their daughters may be characterized by a lower degree of individuation, though not at the cost of intimacy.     

Family involvement and empowerment in mental health service provision for children with emotional and behavioral disorders

Involvement of families is a critical component in effective systems of care for children with disabilities and their families. We investigated the sociodemographic correlates of family involvement in mental health services for children who have emotional and behavioral disorders. Further, we investigated the relationship between family involvement and family empowerment. The Family Involvement Scale-Family Version was used to measure involvement of families in the provision of mental services for their children and the Family Empowerment Scale was used to measure pempowerment in families with children who have emotional and behavioral disorders. In additions, demographic data concerming family composition, race, education, incone, membership in a parent support group, and the mental health status of the children were also collected. The results showed that mothers, as well as respondents with less formal education, reported greater involvement in services for their children than fathers and those who were more educated. Further, the knowledge subscale of empowerment was significantly correlated with all, subscales of family involvement and personal empowerment was significantly correlated with the treatment subscale of family involvement.     

Mothers' use of personal pronouns when talking with toddlers

The verbal interaction of 2-year-old children (N = 46; 16 girls, 30 boys) and their mothers was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed for the use of personal pronouns, the total number of utterances, the child's mean length of utterance, and the mother's responsiveness to her child's utterances. Mothers' use of the personal pronoun we was significantly related to their children's performance on the Stanford-Binet at age 5 and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at age 8. Mothers' use of we in social--vocal interchange, indicating a system for establishing a shared relationship with the child, was closely connected with their verbal responsiveness to their children. The total amount of maternal talking, the number of personal pronouns used by mothers, and their verbal responsiveness to their children were not related to mothers' social class or years of education.