Parent-Professional Alliance and Outcomes of Child,Parent, and Family Treatment: A Systematic Review

This review systematically explored research examining the relation between parent-professional alliance and outcomes of psychosocial treatments provided to children, and their parents and families. Study findings and methodological characteristics were reviewed to investigate the evidence linking the alliance between parents and professionals to outcomes of child, parent, and family treatment as well as to identify factors that may influence the alliance-outcome association. A systematic review of the literature was conducted that included a search of three electronic databases using specified search terms, followed by a hand search to identify relevant studies. A total of 46 studies (37 published articles and 9 unpublished dissertations) met inclusion criteria. Overall, the findings indicated that higher levels of parent-professional alliance were significantly associated with improved clinical outcomes and stronger treatment engagement. However, some studies found that the parent-professional alliance was not significantly related to clinical outcomes or treatment engagement, and a few studies showed that higher levels of alliance were related to less positive clinical outcomes and lower levels of treatment engagement. Several theoretical (problem type, child age, parent sex) and methodological (source and timing of alliance measurement, alliance-outcome informants, outcome domain, timing of outcome measurement) factors were identified that could influence the alliance-outcome association. Together, our findings emphasize the importance of alliance awareness when working with parents as well as a need for future studies to investigate factors influencing the quality of the parent-professional alliance and alliance-outcome association in child, parent, and family treatment.     

Atmospheric harmony in the retail environment: Its influence on store satisfaction and re‐patronage intention

To trigger positive consumer responses, retailers spend large sums of money on arousing and entertaining store environment designs that do not always produce the desired positive consumer reactions. The current research provides a theoretical framework that offers an alternate explanation for shopper preferences regarding retail environments. Drawing on consumers' need for an environment that promotes understanding, this study indicates the importance of communicating a coherent store environment to effect store satisfaction and re‐patronage intention. Harmonious store environments facilitate understanding and comprehension; they enhance information processing and pleasure judgment. One laboratory experiment and one field experiment tested the proposed research framework. Insights from evolutionary and aesthetic psychology, consumer behavior research, and the Asian practice of Feng Shui all guided the manipulation of music and aesthetic design variables to create atmospheric harmony. The findings of both studies suggest that harmonious store environments increase pleasure and positively impact shopping satisfaction and re‐patronage intent, as mediated by shopping value. These findings offer a new perspective for creating pleasant store environments. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Individual differences in trajectories of emotion regulation processes: the effects of maternal depressive symptomatology and children's physiological regulation

Trajectories of emotion regulation processes were examined in a community sample of 269 children across the ages of 4 to 7 using hierarchical linear modeling. Maternal depressive symptomatology (Symptom Checklist-90) and children's physiological reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and vagal regulation (Delta RSA) were explored as predictors of individual differences in trajectories of emotion regulation and negativity (mother-reported Emotion Regulation Checklist; A. M. Shields & D. Cicchetti, 1997). In addition, the authors explored whether children's physiological regulation would moderate the effect of maternal depressive symptomatology on children's emotion regulation trajectories. Results indicated that over time, emotion regulation increased whereas negativity decreased, though considerable individual variability in the pattern of change was observed. Greater maternal depressive symptomatology was associated with less steep emotion regulation trajectories. There was a significant Maternal Depressive Symptomatology x Baseline RSA x Age interaction predicting emotion regulation trajectories. Overall, it appears that the development of emotion regulation over time is compromised when mothers report greater depressive symptomatology. There is also evidence that children's capacity for physiological regulation can buffer some of the adverse consequences associated with maternal depressive symptomatology.     

Letting go or holding on? Parents' perceptions of their relationships with their children during emerging adulthood

This qualitative interview study explored and examined the transitions surrounding emerging adulthood within the family from the parents' perspective. Interviews conducted with a purposive sample of parents (N = 59) revealed the perceived difficulties parents have in ‘letting go’ of their grown‐up children, and in acknowledging their developing autonomy; and demonstrated a range of perceived parental strategies in response to young people's growing independence. The significance of these intertwined elements of perceived dependency, emotional tensions, and interactive behaviours for relationships in the family, and the implications for ‘emerging adulthood’, was discussed.