Emotional Warmth Research Articles

Parenting Styles as a Moderator of the Association between Pubertal Timing and Chinese Adolescents' Smoking Behavior.

Background: Pubertal timing refers to the timing of an individual regarding pubertal sexual maturation, both physiologically and psychologically. Existing research shows that pubertal timing is associated with behavioral problems. This study investigated the role of parenting style in the relationship between pubertal timing and Chinese adolescents’ smoking behavior. Methods: The study examined the association of pubertal timing, parenting style and adolescents’ smoking behavior, using the Pubertal Development Scale (Chinese version), Simplified Parenting Style Scale-Chinese version, and three items related to adolescents’ smoking situation. Participants were 1391 Chinese adolescents aged 11–16 years old (53.41% boys). Hierarchical linear regression analyses assessed the moderating role of parenting style on the association between pubertal timing and adolescent smoking behavior. Results: The results indicated that parenting style moderates the relationship between pubertal timing and adolescent smoking behavior. For male adolescents, father rejection moderated the relationship between early pubertal timing and smoking behavior. For female adolescents, father rejection, father emotional warmth, and mother emotional warmth moderated the relationship between pubertal timing and smoking behavior. Conclusions: Findings from the study highlight the importance of parenting style, which may influence the negative outcomes associated with early pubertal timing and can help improve interventions aimed at reducing these negative outcomes.

Genetic differential susceptibility to the parent-child relationship quality and the life span development of compassion.

The development of compassion for others might be influenced by the social experiences made during childhood and has a genetic component. No research has yet investigated whether the parent-child relationship quality interacts with genetic variation in the oxytocin and dopamine systems in predicting compassion over the life span. In the prospective Young Finns Study (N = 2099, 43.9% men), we examined the interaction between mother-reported emotional warmth and intolerance toward their child assessed in 1980 (age of participants, 3-18 years) and two established genetic risk scores for oxytocin levels and dopamine signaling activity. Dispositional compassion for others was measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory 1997, 2001, and 2012 (age of participants, 20-50 years). We found a gene-environment interaction (p = .031) that remained marginally significant after adjustment for multiple testing. In line with the differential susceptibility hypothesis, only participants who carry alleles associated with low dopamine signaling activity had higher levels of compassion when growing up with emotionally warm parents, whereas they had lower levels of compassion when their parents were emotionally cold. Children's genetic variability in the dopamine system might result in plasticity to early environmental influences that have a long-lasting effect on the development of compassion. However, our findings need replication.

Home, school, and community violence exposure and emotional and conduct problems among low-income adolescents: the moderating role of age and sex

The purpose of this study is to assess whether violence exposure is associated with emotional/conduct problems, when adjusting for confounders/covariates and controlling for comorbidity, and to investigate interactions between violence exposure and sex and/or age. This cross-sectional study evaluated a community-based sample of 669 in-school 11-15-year-olds. A three-stage probabilistic sampling plan included a random selection of census units, eligible households, and target child. Multivariable logistic regression investigated the effect of severe physical punishment by parents, peer victimization at school, and community violence on the study outcomes (adolescent-reported emotional/conduct problems identified by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire/SDQ) when controlling for confounders (resilience, parental emotional warmth, maternal education/unemployment/anxiety/depression) and covariates (age, sex, stressful life events, parental rejection). Considering interactions, emotional problems were associated with community violence victimization among girls, while conduct problems were associated with severe physical punishment among the younger, suffering peer aggression among the oldest, bullying victimization among girls, and witnessing community violence among boys. Desensitization (less emotional problems with greater violence exposure) was noted among the youngest exposed to severe physical punishment and the oldest who witnessed community violence. Age and sex are moderators of the association between violence exposure and emotional/conduct problems. Interventions at local health units, schools, and communities could reduce the use of harsh physical punishment as a parental educational method, help adolescents deal with peer aggression at school and keep them out of the streets by increasing the usual five hours in school per day and making free sports and cultural/leisure activities available near their homes.

Designing Player Intent through “Playful” Interaction

Designing Player Intent through “Playful” Interaction

Fostering creative thinking in the family: The importance of parenting styles

Family plays an important role in students’ creative thinking development. However, the effect of parenting styles on creative thinking remains unclear. Using a sample of 2,143 students from a high school in northern China (58.47% girls; Mage = 16.45), the study examined the relationship between parenting styles and creative thinking. We find that the dimension of parental emotional warmth is positively related to students’ creative thinking, while parental rejection and overprotection are negatively associated with creative thinking. Father's emotional warmth has a larger positive effect on creative thinking than mother's, while maternal rejection and overprotection have a greater negative effect on creative thinking than father's. We provide some suggestive evidence that students’ internal locus of control and self-esteem mediate the relationship between parenting styles and creative thinking. The results of heterogeneity analysis show that parenting styles play a greater role in the creative thinking of girls, lower grade students, and those with disadvantaged family background. In a sense, parenting interventions that target creative thinking among underprivileged students will yield higher returns. This study unraveled the effect of parenting styles on students’ creative thinking, explored the mechanisms of the development of this relationship, and examined the heterogeneous effects of different groups. Implications, limitations and recommendations for further research were also discussed.

Perceived Parenting Styles and Mental Health: The Multiple Mediation Effect of Perfectionism and Altruistic Behavior.

BackgroundAccording to the ecological systems theory, the microsystems are important during the development process because they have direct effects on immediate and proximal factors that shape human development. The theory identifies the family as a microsystem that has profound influence on development since it is the immediate environment in which individuals live. This study explored the multiple mediation effect of perfectionism and altruistic behavior on the association between perceived parenting styles and mental health.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, convenience cluster sampling was used, and the purpose was empirically examined by means of an online questionnaire survey. This study adopted the Demographic Questionnaire, short-form Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran, Chinese Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Self-Reported Altruism Scale, and General Health Questionnaire to conduct measurements in 525 university students.ResultsThe results of the correlation analysis revealed that perceived parenting styles were significantly correlated to perfectionism, altruistic behavior, and mental health. In addition, perfectionism and altruistic behavior were significantly correlated to mental health, while negative perfectionism was not correlated to altruistic behavior. The results of the structural equation model analysis indicated that parental rejection and emotional warmth had direct and significant effects on children’s mental health. Positive perfectionism and altruistic behavior not only played partial mediating roles between parental emotional warmth and children’s mental health but also exerted a chain multiple mediation effect. Altruistic behavior played a partial mediating role between positive perfectionism and mental health.ConclusionTherefore, parents should practice positive parenting styles such as parental emotional warmth toward their children to ensure that positive perfectionism and altruistic behavioral tendency improve mental health.

Parental rejection in early adolescence predicts a persistent ADHD symptom trajectory across adolescence

Despite a general decrease of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms during adolescence, these may persist in some individuals but not in others. Prior cross-sectional studies have shown that parenting style and their interaction with candidate genes are associated with ADHD symptoms. However, there is a lack of longitudinal research examining the independent and interactive effects of parenting and plasticity genes in predicting the course of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms across adolescence. Here, we investigated how children perceived their parents’ parenting style (i.e., rejection, overprotection, and emotional warmth) at the age of 11, and their interaction with DRD4,MAOA, and 5-HTTLPR genotypes on parent-reported ADHD symptoms at three time points (mean ages 11.1, 13.4, and 16.2 years) in 1730 adolescents from the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Growth Mixture Modeling in Mplus identified four ADHD symptom trajectories: low, moderate stable, high decreasing, and high persistent. Perceived parental rejection predicted class membership in the high persistent trajectory compared to the other classes (p < 0.001, odds ratios between 2.14 and 3.74). Gene-environment interactions were not significantly related to class membership. Our results indicate a role of perceived parental rejection in the persistence of ADHD symptoms. Perceived parental rejection should, therefore, be taken into consideration during prevention and treatment of ADHD in young adolescents.

EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF FIRST GRADE CHILDREN ATTENDING REGULAR- AND BOARDING SCHOOLS

Introduction: A substantial body of research indicates that starting school is associated with increased anxiety, fears and behavioral disorders among children. However, little is known whether emotional problems in children are associated with school type. Aim: To study whether the emotional health of first-graders in a boarding school is different from that in a regular school in a Russian setting. Methods: Altogether, 48 first-graders from a regular school and 48 first graders from a boarding school in Arkhangelsk participated in a cross-sectional studyWell-being, Activity, Mood (WAM) questionnaire, Phillips school anxiety scale; René Gilles projective method were applied. In addition, "Fears in the houses"; "The Ladder technique", "Houses", "Educational motivation" techniques were used. Subjective well-being was studied using Arkhireeva's questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U-tests were applied to compare central tendencies in two independent groups. The alfa-error level was set at 5 %. Principal component analysis with varimax normalized rotation was used out to identify the most important characteristics of the emotional health of the first-graders. Results: We observed substantial and statistically significant differences in emotional health among the first-graders in different schools. Children attending the boarding school had higher levels of activity (p = 0.004), feeling well (p = 0.005), satisfaction with relationships (p = 0.019), subjective well-being (p = 0.015), learning motivation (p = 0.014). Life management (p = 0.001), attitude towards a teacher (p = 0,022), sociability (p = 0,000) were included in the risk zone in this group. Children from a regular school had higher levels of sociability (p &lt; 0.001), life management (p = 0.001) and emotional warmth towards the teacher (p = 0.022). Areas of concern among these children were psychological tension related to being at school (p = 0.013) and doing homework (p = 0.004), social stress (p = 0.012), proneness to conflict (p = 0.018), frustration related to the need to be successful at school (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Significant differences in first-graders' emotional health by school type were observed. Our results warrant development and implementation of mental- and emotional health promotion programs among schoolchildren, which should take into account the differences between regular- and boarding schools.

Retrospective assessment of parental attitudes and the quality of the relationship with siblings during childhood

Introduction: According to the systems theory, one of the main factors that can modify the siblings’ bond are parental interactions (Derkman et al., 2011). Researchers indicate two approaches in this area: congruential, confirming the similarity between the sibling’s and parents’ relationships, and the compensatory approach regarding the possibility of compensation in siblings’ relations for a negative relationship with the parents. Method: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the retrospective assessment of parental attitudes and the quality of sibling relations in childhood, including the evaluation of the moderating role of gender factor. Five hundred young adults participated in the study. The EMBU questionnaire – My Childhood Memories, STQ-Then – You and Your Siblings – Once, and a sociodemographic survey were used. Results: The study showed a positive relationship between the Emotional Warmth of the mother and father and the positive aspects of the relationship with siblings, i.e. Mutuality, Support, Care and Imitation, and a negative association with Criticism. High Overprotection and Rejection of parents were associated with a high level of Criticism in sibling relationships. Moreover, parents’ Rejection correlated negatively with Mutuality, Support, and Imitation, while mother’s Overprotection correlated negatively with Mutuality and Support. The gender of respondents was a moderator in two relationships: between Rejection of the father and Support in siblings, and the Emotional Warmth of the father and the level of Care between children. Conclusions: The obtained results are consistent with the congruent approach: parental attitudes based on closeness and support translated into a warm and mutual relationship between siblings, while negative attitudes were associated with a lower quality of relations between brothers and sisters. The child’s gender was particularly important in relation to the relationship between the quality of relations with siblings and the father’s interactions.

Need to warm up! Ambient coldness increases vice inclinations

AbstractWhile researchers have begun to investigate how ambient elements affect people's vice inclinations, the effect of ambient temperature on vice inclinations is relatively unknown. Through three experiments, the present study reveals that ambient coldness (vs. hotness) increases vice inclinations, including both vice consumptions and vice activities. This phenomenon is induced by the automatically activated affective decision‐making mode, which helps people acquire emotional warmth to complement their physical coldness. Driven by the affective decision‐making mode, people are more inclined to vice behaviors. The present study is among the first to explore the effect of ambient temperature on vice inclinations (i.e., vice consumption and vice activity) which extends the literature regarding the downstream consequences of thermoregulation.Practical ApplicationsOur study provides practical insights for the sake of activity organizers, policymakers, educators, and employers. First, we suggest that changing the temperature inside lower than the outside could trigger vice inclinations, which offers an easy and cheap method for activity organizers to enliven the atmosphere and increase participant's involvement. Also, it might be less effective for policymakers to promote vice‐resisting campaigns on cold days since people are more inclined to temptations in the cold atmosphere. Moreover, our findings are instructive for educators and employers. A colder‐than‐average atmosphere might hamper students' and employees' academic or work performances, respectively.

Childhood experience, family support and parenting by people with intellectual disability

ABSTRACT Background Parents with intellectual disability, like all other parents, are embedded in networks of capability-enhancing and/or capability-inhibiting relationships. This study investigated links between how parents with intellectual disability experienced their upbringing, continuity and discontinuity in familial relationships, and their assessments of their own parenting. Method Structured interviews, incorporating scales and open-ended questions, were conducted with 91 parents in receipt of specialist services for people with intellectual disability, including 82 mothers and 9 fathers. Results Most participants (81%) had experienced at least one form of childhood abuse or household adversity. Participants who recalled a more positive upbringing, including less adversity and more parental care, tended to have stronger support networks and reported greater parenting role satisfaction and emotional warmth in their interactions with their own children. Conclusion The results highlight the need to understand parenting by people with intellectual disability in biographical and relational context.

The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Attitude and Life Satisfaction Among University Students

Introduction. The effect of parental attitudes and behaviors in raising their children on the individual’s life has been the subject of numerous studies for many years. There is a strong correlation between parental attitudes and the child’s ability to be satisfied with life.&#x0D; The objective of the research was to determine the relationships between perceived parental attitudes (overprotection, rejection, emotional warmth) and life satisfaction among university students. We investigated whether parental attitudes play a role in predicting life satisfaction among university students, and what role they play.&#x0D; Materials and Methods. The study was conducted from June 2020 to September 2020. Data were collected using Google Forms. Each person consented to anonymously participate in the study and was informed about the objectives of the study being a descriptive one. The population of the study consisted of nursing students enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences. For this purpose, 220 students at the age of 20 to 30 years participated in the study. The assessment battery consisted of Student Demographic Form, the Short-Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (Own Memories of Upbringing), and the Life Satisfaction Scale.&#x0D; Results. There was a significant negative correlation between maternal rejection and life satisfaction among the students. Male students were more likely to perceive their fathers as being disapproving than female students did. These findings were discussed in line with the studies in the related literature.&#x0D; Conclusions. High life satisfaction is a variable that protects young people from risk factors. Therefore, a focus should be placed on increasing life satisfaction among students. Parental attitude is an effective factor for life satisfaction among students. For this reason, it can be said that it would be beneficial to inform families about appropriate parental attitudes to increase their children’s life satisfaction.

Mechanisms of the Effects of Parental Emotional Warmth on Extraversion in Children and Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to probe into the influence mechanism of parental emotional warmth (PEW) on extraversion for children and adolescents, as well as the moderating and mediating role of brain functional activity. Thirty-two children and adolescents underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and completed Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Small-worldness (SW) of brain networks, fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and region-of-interest to region-of-interest (ROI–ROI) functional connectivity were calculated to study intrinsic neuronal activity. We found that PEW had a positive direct effect on extraversion, and all participants in the current study showed an efficient small-world structure. The positive association between PEW and extraversion was mediated by SW. Furthermore, the fALFF and extraversion were significantly and negatively correlated in the right precuneus and dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus. The mediating effect of SW was moderated by the functional connectivity between the right precuneus and the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus. The indirect effect was significant with lower level of the functional connectivity between the right precuneus and the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus. These findings indicate that SW of brain networks may be a key factor that accounts for the positive association between PEW and extraversion in children and adolescents and the level of the functional connectivity between the right precuneus and the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus could moderate the relationship.

Family Socioeconomic Status and Children’s Gender Differences in Taiwanese Teenagers’ Perception of Parental Rearing Behaviors

This study investigated Taiwanese middle school students’ perceptions of their parents’ rearing behaviors, examining the gender invariance of the students’ appraisals. First, we examined and revised the s-EMBU for Taiwanese middle school students. Second, multigroup analyses were conducted to confirm the measurement invariance between boys and girls. Finally, we investigated the associations between family socioeconomic status and students’ perceptions of their parental rearing behaviors. There were two samples of Taiwanese middle school students. Sample 1 included 598 students and was used to verify the s-EMBU scale, which measured individual perceptions of parental parenting behaviors, including rejection, emotional warmth, and overprotection. Sample 2 included 1,153 students who responded to the revised s-EMBU scale. A SEM with a multigroup analysis was conducted to examine the differences in structural weights for each gender. The results confirmed the measurement invariance between boys and girls for the revised s-EMBU. The latent mean structural analyses revealed that Taiwanese middle school girls perceived a higher level of parental emotional warmth, while boys perceived higher levels of parental rejection and overprotection. In addition, the study also demonstrated that SES was related to parental rearing behaviors for boys rather than girls. The study revised and validated the measure of s-EMBU with Taiwanese middle school samples, confirming the measurement invariance between boys and girls. In conclusion, the findings could help us understand middle school students’ perceptions of parental rearing behaviors, providing some insights into parenting approaches.

Interaction of Parenting Style of Mothers and Paediatric Diabetes Management

Background. Parent-child relationship and parenting style are very important for the child’s mental and physical health. This study was focused on investigating the association between mothers’ parenting style (PS) and their children’s with type I diabetes (T1DM) disease management. We hypothesized that mothers’ PS interact with their children’s T1DM outcomes. Methods. One hundred thirty-one mothers, the main caregivers of their diabetic children, filled in the parenting style and demographic questionnaires. The indicator of diabetes management was Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) – the main form of glycosylated haemoglobin. PS scales and subscales were associated with glycaemic management indices. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied for the assessment of the association between mothers’ PS and their children’s with T1DM disease management. Results. While logistic regression analysis did not demonstrate statistically significant interaction of T1DM management and mothers’ PS scales and subscales, cluster analysis showed that in the confrontation with T1DM, the relationships between children and parents were dominated by negative elements of PS: lack of emotional warmth, support, reasoning and especially democratic participation. Conclusion. Children’s T1DM management and their mothers’ PS scales and subscales did not demonstrate statistically significant interaction. PS negative elements dominate in mothers’ upbringing: lack of emotional warmth, support, reasoning and especially democratic participation. Keywords: type 1 diabetes, parenting skills, parenting style, diabetes management.

Interactive Effects of Perceived Parental Rearing Styles on Distress Tolerance and Psychological Distress in Pakistani University Students

Several empirical studies have linked parenting styles with different mental health consequences in samples from Western nations, with some studies also in East Asian countries. However, few studies have analyzed such associations specifically in South Asian countries such as Pakistan. Moreover, few studies have examined the potential interactive role of parental rearing practices by both parents in relation to distress tolerance and psychological distress. In the current study, we evaluated the interaction of mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles in relation to distress tolerance and psychological distress in Pakistani university students. Three hundred university students were recruited using a stratified sampling strategy. Students completed measures of their mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles (separately), their distress tolerance, and their general psychological distress. There was great similarity in respondents’ recollection of parenting styles by mothers and fathers. Results of regression analyses indicated that high parental rejection and overprotection were associated with poorer distress tolerance and greater psychological distress. Although the direct associations of emotional warmth with distress tolerance and psychological distress were small, emotional warmth interacted with other parenting styles, such that negative effects of parental rejection and overprotection were lessened in the context of higher emotional warmth.

Are spousal partner perceptions of continuity and discontinuity within the relationship linked to the symptoms of acquired brain injury?

Purpose Some partners experience their relationship with a person with brain injury as the continuation of a loving pre-injury relationship (continuity), but others feel that the pre-injury relationship has been lost and replaced with something very different (discontinuity). This study provided a quantitative test of claims arising from qualitative research that certain symptoms of the injury might contribute to the experience of discontinuity – specifically, lack of emotional warmth, reduced social interaction and aggression. Methods Fifty-three partners providing care to someone with brain injury completed questionnaires assessing continuity/discontinuity and a range of symptoms (emotional warmth, conversational ability, aggression, depression, somatic complaints, cognition, communication, aggression, and physical disability). Results Discontinuity was significantly correlated with all symptom variables except physical disability but, in a multiple regression, only the measures of emotional warmth, conversation, aggression, and depression made a significant unique contribution. Conclusions Discontinuity has been linked with relationship dissatisfaction and dysfunction, greater burden and distress, and a less person-centred approach to the provision of care. Identifying which symptoms contribute to discontinuity may enable partners to be more effectively supported in terms of how they make sense of and react to those symptoms, so that a greater sense of continuity may be retained. Implications for rehabilitation In a marriage/partnership after brain injury, some people struggle to maintain the loving relationship they shared with the person with the brain injury before the injury. This has an impact on the psychological wellbeing of the couple and on the quality of care provided. Certain symptoms of the brain injury may make it more difficult to maintain the loving pre-injury relationship. These include aggression, depression, a lack of emotional warmth within the relationship, and more general difficulties in making conversation. Caregivers dealing with these symptoms may need extra support in making sense of, and coming to terms with, these changes.

The influence of paternal and maternal parenting styles on adolescents’ regulatory focus: A longitudinal study

To strengthen the evidence for the developmental assumption of regulatory focus theory, that individuals’ chronic self-regulatory orientations root in parenting behaviors, the present study investigated the influences of maternal and paternal parenting styles on Chinese adolescents’ regulatory focus and the effects of regulatory focus on mental health using an 8-month longitudinal design. 466 Chinese middle and high school students completed the regulatory focus, perceived maternal and paternal parenting style, life satisfaction, and positive and negative social adjustment measures. The results showed that: (1) Adolescents’ promotion focus positively predicted life satisfaction and positive social adjustment and negatively predicted negative social adjustment. Prevention focus positively predicted negative social adjustment. (2) Maternal emotional warmth positively predicted promotion focus, whereas paternal harsh discipline positively predicted prevention focus. (3) Promotion focus mediated the relationship between maternal emotional warmth and life satisfaction and positive and negative social adjustment. Prevention focus mediated the relationship between paternal harsh discipline and negative social adjustment.

Parenting Style and Personality Correlates of Internet Addiction

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) and its correlation with personality traits and perceived parenting styles in college-going students. Materials and Methods: The current cross-sectional study was done at a medical college in a semi-urban area near Pune. A total of 623 university students were included in the study with their consent. They completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic background and Internet usage pattern, Young's IA scale to assess IA, the Big Five Inventory for assessing personality traits, and Short-Form Egna Minnenav Barndoms Uppfostran (My Memories of Upbringing) scale for measuring perceived parenting styles. Results: The prevalence of IA in medical students was 56.81% (mild IA: 49.59%, moderate IA: 7.22%). Neuroticism showed a significant positive correlation with IA, whereas extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness showed a significant negative correlation. In perceived parenting styles, rejection and overprotection had a significant positive relation and emotional warmth had a significant negative relation with IA. Conclusion: Neuroticism, rejection, and overprotection by parents were positively associated with IA. Personality traits of extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional warmth by parents were negatively associated with IA.

The Influence of Family Cohesion on Shyness of Contemporary College Students: The Mediation Role of Emotional Warmth

To explore the impact of family cohesion on shyness of college students, and the mediation role of emotional warmth between cohesion and shyness. The study used the FACESII-CV, the s.EMBU and the Shyness Scale to study 503 college students. The results show that the main effect of shy gender and grade is significant and the main effect of environment is not significant, family cohesion of college students is significantly positively correlated with emotional warmth, and significantly negatively correlated with shyness; emotional warmth is significantly negatively correlated with shyness; emotional warmth plays a completely mediation role between cohesion and shyness.