父母协同教养与学前儿童社会行为的关系:亲子关系和同胞关系的链式中介作用

以河南省某市四所幼儿园大、中、小班共196名学前儿童及其父母和教师为研究对象,基于家庭系统理论,采用父、母填写的父母感知协同教养量表和亲子关系量表、母亲填写的儿童早期同胞关系质量问卷和幼儿教师报告的儿童行为量表探讨亲子关系、同胞关系在父母感知协同教养与学前儿童社会行为之间的中介作用。结果发现：（1）母子冲突和母子亲密分别在母亲感知协同教养与同胞冲突和同胞温暖间起部分中介作用;父子冲突和父子亲密分别在父亲感知协同教养与同胞冲突和同胞温暖间起完全中介作用;（2）父/母子冲突和同胞冲突在母亲感知协同教养和儿童攻击行为间起链式中介作用;父子冲突和同胞冲突在父亲感知协同教养和儿童攻击行为间起链式中介作用。     

Young adult sibling relations: the effects of perceived parental favoritism and narcissism

The present study examined predictors of siblings' relations in 202 young adults (aged 21-32 years), who completed the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Results indicate that warmth between siblings is explained by gender (with women feeling closer), perceived paternal favoritism, low levels of narcissism, and an interaction suggesting that paternal favoritism moderates the link between narcissism and sibling warmth. Conflict between siblings was explained by gender (sisters), age, parental favoritism, high levels of narcissism, extreme levels of similarity or dissimilarity between siblings, and interactions indicating that older age is a predictor of conflict between siblings among women but not among men. The impact of parental favoritism and narcissism on sibling relationships in young adulthood was discussed.     

A Tachistoscopic Device for Work with Subhuman Primates

The present study examined predictors of siblings’ relations in 202 young adults (aged 21–32 years), who completed the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Results indicate that warmth between siblings is explained by gender (with women feeling closer), perceived paternal favoritism, low levels of narcissism, and an interaction suggesting that paternal favoritism moderates the link between narcissism and sibling warmth. Conflict between siblings was explained by gender (sisters), age, parental favoritism, high levels of narcissism, extreme levels of similarity or dissimilarity between siblings, and interactions indicating that older age is a predictor of conflict between siblings among women but not among men. The impact of parental favoritism and narcissism on sibling relationships in young adulthood was discussed.     

Sibling relationships in early adulthood: A typology

This investigation attempted to classify adult sibling relationships into a small number of discrete types and to describe those sibling relationship types in terms of the relative warmth, conflict, and rivalry experienced by members of the sibling dyad. Adult participants (N= 267), ranging in age from 17 to 56 years, were asked to complete surveys describing their relationship with the biological sibling who was closest in age to themselves. Using the theoretical categories developed by Murphy (1993) in her study of young siblings, a retrospective questionnaire was constructed to classify the respondent's relationship with his or her sibling as Caretaker, Buddy, or Casual. Along with these three groups, a fourth type of sibling relationship was detected that closely resembled the Loyal subgroup described by Gold (1989) in her study of sibling relationships among the elderly. Differences among these four groups were assessed with the Adult Sibling Relationship Questionnaire developed by Lanthier and Stocker (1993). Group differences are summarized, and several potential developmental paths from childhood to adulthood for the various types of sibling relationships are outlined.     

Understanding child-based effects on parenting: temperament as a moderator of genetic and environmental contributions to parenting

The degree to which child temperament moderates genetic and environmental contributions to parenting was examined. Participants were drawn from the Nonshared Environment and Adolescent Development project and included 720 sibling pairs, ages 13.5 + 2.0 years (Sibling 1) to 12.1 + 1.3 years (Sibling 2). The sample consisted of 6 sibling types: 93 monozygotic twin pairs, 99 dizygotic twin pairs, and 95 full sibling pairs from never-divorced families and 182 full-sibling, 109 half-sibling, and 130 unrelated-sibling pairs residing in stepfamilies. Composite child temperament ratings (negative emotionality, activity, shyness, and sociability) were derived from mothers' and fathers' reports. Composite parenting ratings (negativity, warmth) for mothers and fathers were generated from children's and parents' reports. Analyses indicated that at higher levels of negative emotionality and sociability, child-based genetic contributions to mothers' and fathers' negativity increased, whereas the contributions of environmental factors declined. The opposite pattern was observed for child shyness. These same characteristics had less impact on parental warmth. For fathers only, nonshared environmental contributions to fathers' warmth increased in the presence of high child activity and sociability but declined when children were very shy. Overall these findings indicate that child-based effects on negative parenting are enhanced when children demonstrate potentially challenging characteristics but are weaker in the absence of such characteristics.     

Theory‐of‐Mind development and early sibling relationships after the birth of a sibling: Parental discipline matters

This study investigated relations among children's Theory‐of‐Mind (ToM) development, early sibling interactions, and parental discipline strategies during the transition to siblinghood. Using a sample of firstborn children and their parents (N = 208), we assessed children's ToM before the birth of a sibling and 12 months after the birth, and sibling interactions (i.e., positive engagement and antagonism) and parental discipline strategies (i.e., child‐centred and parent‐centred discipline) at 4 and 8 months in the first year of siblinghood. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed that children's ToM before the birth of the sibling predicted children's positive engagement with the infant sibling, whereas children's antagonistic behaviours towards the infant sibling negatively predicted children's ToM at 12 months, but only when mothers used low levels of child‐centred discipline. These findings emphasize the role of parents in the development of young children's social‐cognitive understanding in the context of early sibling interactions.

Highlights

• This study investigated relations among firstborns' Theory‐of‐Mind (ToM), early sibling relationships, and parental discipline during the first year of siblinghood.
• Multigroup analyses showed that ToM predicted higher sibling positive engagement, and early sibling antagonism predicted poorer ToM when mothers used low child‐centred discipline.
• Parental discipline plays an important role in the development of young children's social understanding and sibling relationships as early as the first year of siblinghood.

     

Parenting and child behaviour problems: a longitudinal analysis of non‐shared environment

This study examined potential non‐shared environmental processes in middle childhood by estimating statistical associations between monozygotic (MZ) twin differences in externalizing and internalizing problems and positive social engagement, and differential maternal positivity and negativity, over 1 year. Seventy‐seven pairs of identical twins participated (M=6.08‐years old, 65% male) in two annual home visits. Observers' ratings and maternal reports were gathered. At both assessments, the twin who showed more conduct problems (maternal report and observers' ratings) and less positive social engagement (positive affect, responsiveness) received more maternal negativity and less maternal warmth (self‐reports and observers' ratings), relative to his or her genetically identical co‐twin. The same patterns held over time, for the associations between change in differential MZ twin conduct problems and social engagement and change in differential maternal behaviour. Effects for child internalizing problems were not consistent within or across raters. Overall, these results indicated that differential maternal warmth and negativity—self‐perceived and observed by others—are important aspects of sibling differentiation for both problematic and adaptive behaviours during middle childhood. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Situational affect and temperament: Implications for sibling caregiving

The caregiving behaviour of 60 preschool‐age children (M=50 months) toward their 16‐month‐old younger siblings was observed during a brief separation from their parents. Sibling caregiving was more strongly associated with parent ratings of both the older siblings' and toddlers' temperament than with the younger siblings' distress exhibited during the separation. The older siblings' social fear was positively related to providing care, whereas their temperamental activity level was negatively related to caregiving. Younger siblings' temperamental anger and soothability were positively associated with receiving care from an older sibling. Relations with temperament were independent of both children's distress levels during the separation, and in several instances, dispositional affective measures (i.e. temperament) made stronger contributions to the prediction of sibling caregiving than did situational distress. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fighting Like Brother and Sister: Sibling Relationships and Future Adult Romantic Relationship Quality

Many factors influence the quality of a romantic relationship, and there has been increasing evidence that early attachment plays a vital role in adult bonds, including romantic relationships. However, most of the literature has focused on the role of parent–child and peer attachments with little focus on sibling attachments. Using the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire, we asked a sample of New Zealand university students to retrospectively rate the relationship they had with a significant sibling during their adolescence, and to rate their current romantic relationship quality using the Relationship Assessment Scale. We found no significant correlations between the subscales of the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and the Relationship Assessment Scale. However, further analysis uncovered a significant association between the Relationship Assessment Scale, birth order, and relationship length.     

Dyadic Flexibility in Early Parent–Child Interactions: Relations with Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Child Negativity and Behaviour Problems

Lower levels of parent–child affective flexibility indicate risk for children's problem outcomes. This short‐term longitudinal study examined whether maternal depressive symptoms were related to lower levels of dyadic affective flexibility and positive affective content in mother–child problem‐solving interactions at age 3.5 years (N = 100) and whether these maternal and dyadic factors predicted child emotional negativity and behaviour problems at a 4‐month follow‐up. Dyadic flexibility and positive affect were measured using dynamic systems‐based modelling of second‐by‐second affective patterns during a mother–child problem‐solving task. Results showed that higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms were related to lower levels of dyadic affective flexibility, which predicted children's higher levels of negativity and behaviour problems as rated by teachers. Mothers' ratings of child negativity and behaviour problems were predicted by their own depressive symptoms and individual child factors, but not by dyadic flexibility. There were no effects of dyadic positive affect. Findings highlight the importance of studying patterns in real‐time dyadic parent–child interactions as potential mechanisms of risk in developmental psychopathology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Longitudinal relations among perceived parental warmth,self-esteem and social behaviours from middle childhood to early adolescence in China: Disentangling between- and within-person associations

Although several studies have addressed the relations between perceived parental warmth and social behaviours, few have distinguished their between- and within-person effects or explored their within-person mediating mechanisms. This study examined the transactional relations among perceived parental warmth (i.e. maternal warmth and paternal warmth), children's self-esteem and children's positive/negative social behaviours (i.e. prosocial behaviour and delinquent behaviour) along with the mediating role of self-esteem after disentangling between- and within-person effects. A total of 4315 Chinese elementary children (44.9% girls; M_age = 9.93 years, SD = 0.73) completed relevant measures on four occasions employing 6-month intervals. Results of random-intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that (a) perceived parental warmth reciprocally and positively predicted prosocial behaviour and self-esteem; (b) perceived paternal warmth reciprocally and negatively predicted delinquent behaviour; (c) self-esteem reciprocally predicted prosocial and delinquent behaviour; (d) perceived maternal warmth reciprocally and positively predicted prosocial behaviour through self-esteem; (e) perceived parental warmth reciprocally and negatively predicted delinquent behaviour through self-esteem; and (f) perceived maternal and paternal warmth differed in their relations with prosocial and delinquent behaviours through self-esteem. These findings illuminated the complicated longitudinal within-person interactions among perceived parental warmth, self-esteem, and social behaviours, the specific mediating mechanism of self-esteem, and the differing results associated with perceived maternal and paternal warmth, all of which yield significant implications for assessments and early interventions aimed to promote positive social behaviour.     

Maternal Agreeableness Moderates Associations Between Young Children's Emotion Dysregulation and Socioemotional Functioning at School

The goal of this study was to explore associations among maternal agreeableness, child temperament (i.e., emotion dysregulation), and children's social adjustment at school. Participants were 146 children in kindergarten and Grade 1 (76 girls; M_age = 67.78 months, SD = 10.81 months). Mothers provided ratings of their own agreeableness and their child's temperament, and teachers assessed indices of children's socioemotional functioning at school. Among the results, maternal agreeableness moderated associations between child dysregulation and aspects of adjustment at school. Specifically, at higher levels of maternal agreeableness, the relations between child dysregulation and both anxiety with peers and their prosocial behavior were attenuated. Overall, the results suggest that maternal agreeableness may serve as a protective factor for dysregulated children. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Children's perceptions of the sibling relationship in middle childhood: Connections within and between family relationships

Although sibling warmth and hostility have been shown to be statistically independent, they are intertwined in children's everyday experiences. We developed a multidimensional characterization of children's perceptions of their sibling relationships and examined differences in other family relationship measures as a function of different combinations of sibling hostility and warmth. Participants included 91 firstborn children between 10 and 11 years of age with younger siblings between 6 and 10 years of age. Children reported their levels of satisfaction, intimacy, and rivalry in their sibling relationships and their satisfaction with parent-child relationships. Parents rated their marriages. As compared with children in families with “affect-intense” sibling relationships (high hostility/high warmth), children in “hostile” sibling relationships (high hostility/low warmth) rated their sibling and parent-child relationships more negatively, and their parents rated their marriages more negatively. Results are discussed in terms of the role of hostility in sibling experiences and the importance of understanding multidimensional patterns in the sibling relationship.     

Parenting behaviour as a mediator between young children's negative emotionality and their anxiety/depression

The goal of this longitudinal study was to examine observed paternal and maternal control (psychological control and autonomy granting) and support (rejection and emotional warmth) as mediators of the relation between children's negative emotionality at 3.5 years of age and depression and anxiety problems at 4.5 years. For 35 children, 60‐min unstructured parent–child interactions were rated at 4.5 years. Results indicated that maternal rejection mediated the relation between children's negative emotionality and their later anxiety/depression. Higher levels of child negative emotionality predicted more psychological control in mothers, but did not predict any parenting behaviours in fathers. Higher levels of paternal autonomy granting were associated with more child anxiety/depression. Unexpectedly, however, more maternal emotional warmth was related to higher levels of child anxiety/depression. The findings offer new insights to guide future research on the (mediating) role of parenting behaviours in the relation between children's negative emotionality and their internalizing problems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parental Perceptions of the Family and Children's Peer Relations

To study the relationship between American parents' perceptions of the family environment, themselves, and their children's peer relations with preschool peers, data was obtained from 56 boys and 47 girls between 47 and 59 months old and their parents. Questionnaires on perceptions of family cohesiveness, expressiveness, conflict, psychosocial competence of self, and acceptance of children were completed by the parents. Sociometric evaluations of peer ratings and positive and negative nominations among children were completed by the children. Correlations revealed both similarities and differences between father–child and mother–child patterns. In general, boys' peer ratings were related to parents' competence whereas girls' peer ratings were related to parents' cohesion. Positive nominations in boys and girls were related to parents' competence. Negative nominations in boys and girls were related to low acceptance and high conflict in parents. These data suggest important links between parents' perceptions of the family and children's peer relations.     

Spanish-English bilingual toddlers’ vocabulary skills: The role of caregiver language input and warmth

There is a well-documented link between bilingual language development and the relative amounts of exposure to each language. Less is known about the role of quality indicators of caregiver-child interactions in bilingual homes, including caregiver input diversity, warmth and sensitivity. This longitudinal study examines the relation between caregiver input (lexical diversity, amount), warmth and sensitivity and bilingual toddlers’ subsequent vocabulary outcomes. We video-recorded caregiver-child interactions in Spanish-English Latino homes when toddlers (n = 47) were 18 months of age (M = 18.32 months; SD = 1.02 months). At the 24-month follow-up, we measured children's vocabulary as total vocabulary (English, Spanish combined) as well as within language (Spanish, English). Results revealed that Spanish lexical diversity exposure at 18 months from caregivers was positively associated with children's Spanish and total vocabulary scores at 24 months, while English lexical diversity was positively associated with children's English scores; lexical diversity and amount were highly correlated. Additionally, caregivers’ warmth was positively associated with children's Spanish, English and total vocabulary scores. Together, these factors accounted for substantial variance (30–40%) in vocabulary outcomes. Notably, caregiver input accounted for more variance in single language outcomes than did caregiver warmth, whereas caregiver warmth uniquely accounted for more variance in total vocabulary scores. Our findings extend prior research findings by suggesting that children's dual language development may depend on their exposure to a diverse set of words, not only amount of language exposure, as well as warm interactions with caregivers. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/q1V_7fz5wog

Highlights

• Video-recorded observations of caregiver-child interactions revealed warmth and high sensitivity from Latino caregivers.
• Linguistically-detailed analyses of caregiver input revealed wide variation in the diversity of Spanish and English directed at 18-month-old bilingual toddlers.
• Bilingual toddlers’ vocabulary (single language, total) was positively associated with caregivers’ diverse input and warmth, thus extending prior findings on bilinguals’ amount of language exposure.
• Findings suggest that caregivers’ lexical diversity explains more variance in bilingual toddlers’ single language outcomes, whereas warmth explains more variance in total vocabulary scores.

     

Perpetration of sibling aggression and sibling relationship quality in emerging adulthood

This study examined how emerging adults' perpetration of aggression toward a sibling closest in age was longitudinally associated with their sibling relationship quality. Emerging adults (N = 143; M_age = 19.62; 70% female) completed surveys online or by mail at two time points, 4 years apart. Of emerging adults, 25% perpetrated aggression against their closest‐in‐age sibling. Perpetration of sibling aggression was predictive 4 years later of less sibling warmth, involvement, and emotional help. None of the interactions with gender and sibling gender was significant. This study's findings demonstrate the importance of examining the consequences of perpetration of aggressive behavior toward a sibling for sibling relationship quality in emerging adulthood.     

Parental and sibling effects in adolescent outcomes

This study examined the differential effects of parenting and sibling influences (and the interaction between the two) in predicting adolescents' problem behaviors. The reliability and validity of the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire was also assessed. Subjects were 99 intact families from the San Francisco Bay area, all of whom contained both parents and at least one target child between 10 and 18 years of age still living in the home. Analysis indicated that sibling behavior was a significant predictor of deviant behavior, as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist, even when parenting effects were statistically controlled. Parenting effects had a separate effect on adolescents' positive behaviors. The analysis of the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire indicated adequate test-retest and internal consistency reliability, and construct validity. Findings are discussed in terms of the larger literature on socialization on the different ways that siblings and parents influence adolescent outcomes.     

Reciprocal and complementary sibling interactions,relationship quality and socio‐emotional problem solving

Associations between reciprocal and complementary sibling interactions, sibling relationship quality, and children's socio‐emotional problem solving were examined in 40 grade 5–6 children (M age = 11.5 years) from middle class, Caucasian, Canadian families using a multi‐method approach (i.e. interviews, self‐report questionnaires, daily diary checklist, narrative task). Findings demonstrated that reciprocal sibling interactions were positively associated with warmth, mutual esteem, happy daily exchanges, and negatively related to rivalry and dominance, whereas complementary interactions were positively related to upsetting daily exchanges. Further, reciprocal and complementary interactions differed significantly in relation to several relationship qualities, with reciprocal interactions emerging as a significantly stronger correlate of happy exchanges. Only reciprocal interactions were positively correlated with socio‐emotional problem solving. Finally, birth order moderated the negative association of reciprocal interactions with rivalry and dominance and the positive association with socio‐emotional problem solving. In each case, the effect was stronger for younger members of the sibling dyad. Findings are discussed in light of recent theory on the sibling relationship and children's development. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.