Parent-child Dynamics Research Articles

Emotion coupling across socialization contexts in adolescence: Differences in parent-child and peer interactions.

People spontaneously adjust their emotions to others when they interact. This temporal coupling of emotions is an adaptive process facilitating social bonding. The present study examined differences in coupling patterns during parent-child versus peer interactions in adolescence, a developmental period marked by evolving parent-child dynamics and bond formation with peers. Because adolescents prioritize peer bonding while gradually asserting their autonomy from parental influence, we hypothesized that peer dyads showed stronger coupling than parent-adolescent dyads. Adolescents (age 16) with diverse ethnic backgrounds (N = 615; 50.2% female; 46.8% European American, 31.2% African American, 5.0% Hispanic, 3.0% Asian or Pacific Islander, 2.0% Native American, and 12.0% multiple ethnic backgrounds) participated in two videotaped interaction tasks: one with a parent and one with a self-nominated peer. Parent and peer interactions included discussions on positive and negative topics. Both dyad members' emotions were coded in real time. Cross-recurrence quantification analyses and growth-curve modeling revealed concurrent emotion coupling patterns, with peer dyads showing stronger coupling than parent-adolescent dyads. Moreover, peer dyads showed the most pronounced coupling patterns when they discussed personal problems, while parent-adolescent dyads showed the most pronounced coupling patterns when they discussed the planning of a fun activity. Our findings emphasize the importance of microlevel emotion dynamics in understanding larger scale developmental shifts in relationships during adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The who, when, and why of pacifier use.

Social and familial consequences of pacifier use remain poorly understood. The present study attempts to shed more light on the characteristics of parents using pacifiers with their infants and to explore how pacifier use affects perceptions of infant emotionality, maternal stress, and parental efficacy. The study sample consisted of 428 mothers (range: 17-49 years) of infants (0-36 months) who completed a comprehensive questionnaire assessing infant and parent characteristics as well as parenting practices and pacifier use. We compared attitudes toward pacifiers, parenting stress, children's levels of reactivity and self-regulation, and maternal efficacy among Pacifier Users, Never-Users, and families that Tried-Pacifiers. The reported results reveal benefits of pacifier use for the family relationships, namely reduced parenting stress (p = 0.018), better parent-child dynamics (p < 0.001), and more positive perceptions of child's affectivity (p = 0.006), which are all important aspects of infant development. Our findings highlight developmental benefits of pacifier use, a practice that is known to have both positive and negative long-term consequences for healthy child development. It is, therefore, important for health professionals to have discussions about the pros and cons of pacifier use with parents. The study provides novel insights into how and why mothers use pacifiers and into the psychological consequences of this practice. We found pacifier use is associated with less maternal stress, better mother-child dynamics, and more positive perceptions of child's affectivity. Our findings document developmental benefits of pacifier use adding a new perspective to the debate on pacifiers. Doctors, health visitors, pediatric nurses, and midwives may consider this evidence when advising parents on pacifier use.

A - 42 Exploring Emotional Regulation Difficulties and Achievement-Oriented Parental Psychological Control as the Moderators of the Association between Academic Enablers and Academic Skills in Hispanic Adolescents

Abstract Objective This study explored how emotional regulation difficulties and parental psychological control (achievement-oriented) moderate the association between academic enablers (motivation, engagement, study skills, interpersonal skills) and academic skills (reading, writing, mathematics, critical thinking). Method Responses from 157 adolescents (average age = 12, 63% Hispanic, 46% female) using the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales, the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale, and the Achievement-Oriented Psychological Control measure were analyzed using the PROCESS macro conditional analysis model 3 in R (Hayes, 2013). Results Results indicated that emotional regulation moderated the association between academic enablers and academic skills and that this moderation was further moderated by psychological control, F(7, 149) = 63.5, p &amp;lt; 0.00. Specifically, the academic enablers-skills association was stronger for adolescents experiencing higher emotional regulation difficulties and psychological control, Tb7 = 0.0046. Probing the interaction using a modified pick-a-point approach revealed that the conditional effect of the interaction between academic enablers and emotional regulation difficulties on academic skills was significant at the 84th percentile of psychological control, θXW → Y|(Z = 3.11) = 0.0076, p = 0.0075. Alternatively, probing the interaction using the Johnson-Neyman technique revealed that the conditional effect of the interaction between academic enablers and emotional regulation difficulties on academic skills was significant when parental psychological control was greater than or equal to 2.49. Conclusions The study highlights the importance of academic enablers in skill development, especially for adolescents who experience moderate to high emotional regulation difficulties and parental pressure to succeed. Targeted interventions to improve adolescents’ emotional regulation capabilities and lessen controlling parent–child dynamics could be crucial.

Eye of the beholder: Neural synchrony of dynamically changing relations between parent praise and child affect.

In this study, we aimed to determine the role of parental praise and child affect in the neural processes underlying parent-child interactions, utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning. We characterized the dynamic changes in interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) between parents and children (4-6 years old, n=40 dyads) during a cognitively challenging task. We then examined how changes in parent-child INS are influenced by parental feedback and child affect. Parent-child INS showed a quadratic change over time, indicating a decelerated decline during the interaction period. The relationship of parental praise, in the form of positive feedback, to change in INS was contingent upon the child's positive affect during the task. The highest levels of INS were observed when praise was present and child affect was positive. The left temporo-parietal regions of the child and the right dorsolateral prefrontal and right temporo-parietal regions of the parent demonstrated the strongest INS. The dynamic change in INS during the interaction was associated with children's independent performance on a standardized test of visuospatial processing. This research, leveraging fNIRS hyperscanning, elucidates the neural dynamics underlying the interaction between parent praise and child positive affect, thereby contributing to our broader understanding of parent-child dynamics. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The level of interpersonal neural synchrony between parents and children dynamically varies during a cognitively challenging (tangram) task. The left temporo-parietal regions of the child and the right dorsolateral prefrontal and right temporo-parietal regions of the parent demonstrate the strongest parent-child neural synchrony. The relationship between parental praise (positive feedback) and parent-child neural synchrony is contingent upon child positive affect during the task. Change in parent-child neural synchrony relates to children's performance on an independent visuospatial processing measure.

Absent parents, sick children, and epistolary relationships in England, c.1640-c.1750

ABSTRACT Through an examination of their personal letters, this article explores the ways in which seventeenth- and eighteenth-century gentry parents responded to the illnesses of their children. Correspondence was the lifeblood of elite families in this period, as members were increasingly peripatetic and regularly separated from one another. It was also the primary method by which parents communicated with their adult children who had established households of their own. Illness was one of the key subjects of such letters. The paper approaches childhood as a relational, continuous state and uses relative age and social rank, often overlooked in favour of gender in scholarship on early modern sickness and domestic medicine, as categories of analysis. Through close reading and application of literary, sociological, and historical understandings of both letter-writing and experiences of illness, it argues that parental letters about health had specific strategies and implications. Mothers and fathers intervened in the physical condition of their offspring throughout their lives. Their diverse reactions to news of poor health, from concern, advice, and sympathy to admonition and frustration, served various functions at different stages of the life-course. Parents fulfilled their duties, such as protection, discipline, and education, remotely via correspondence about health. Concurrently, they allowed space for negotiation of their own and their children’s identities and emotions, particularly during transitional phases such as young adulthood. By considering the ways in which parent-child dynamics shifted in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by illness, this study untangles one of the many points of connection between family, health, and epistolary culture.

Parental psychological control and children’s self-esteem: A longitudinal investigation in children with and without oppositional defiant problems

Oppositional defiant problems are among the most prevalent psychological problems among children and adolescents from China and across the world. Still little is understood about how self-esteem, in conjunction with parenting experiences, develops in children with oppositional defiant problems. We addressed this gap of knowledge in a two-year longitudinal study. Specifically, we explored how parental psychological control predicts children’s self-esteem levels over time, and in turn, how children’s self-esteem levels predict parental psychological control. We collected data in Chinese children (ages 8 to 13 at T1) with (N = 224) and without (N = 217) oppositional defiant problems, and tested three-wave cross-lagged panel models. Multigroup analyses showed that the associations between parental psychological control and children’s self-esteem were the same for children with and without oppositional defiant problems. Results for the total sample revealed bi-directional associations between maternal psychological control and children’s self-esteem. Children who perceived more psychological control from their mothers were likely to exhibit lower self-esteem over time, and vice versa, children with lower self-esteem were likely to perceive more maternal psychological control over time. Conversely, a unidirectional paternal effect was observed in father-child dyads. Our findings help understand the parent–child dynamics that shape the psychological development of children with oppositional defiant problems.

“Just like friends”: Chinese young adults’ interpretation of parent–child relationships on American TV shows

The emergence of individualization in contemporary Chinese society has transformed parent–child dynamics. This article examines one frequently acknowledged, but rarely scrutinized, individualizing force in this process: the consumption of Western popular media. Based on 29 in-depth interviews with college students in Beijing in 2009–2010, I investigate how members of China's first only-child generation reflexively engaged American television shows to assess their own parent–child relationships during a pivotal time of social change in China. While watching US TV inspired a desire among respondents for the individualistic and democratic family dynamics featured on screen, many were critical of what they saw and came to appreciate Chinese family practices more. Beyond comparing their lived realities with specific narratives on US TV, respondents often extrapolated individual circumstances to broader social issues and cultural traditions. Thus, US TV presented new alternatives for family life that fostered a reflexive “social imagination” among young Chinese, allowing them a deeper understanding of personal experiences by situating them within a constellation of social institutions, economic systems, and cultural values. By analyzing viewers’ meaning-making of American television shows within a Chinese context, this article illuminates how parent–child relationships have been shaped by an interplay between local norms and global possibilities.

Educational mobility and subjective well-being from an intergenerational perspective

The well-being implications of intergenerational educational mobility have been extensively studied, yet the focus predominantly lies on primary movers—individuals who themselves move up or down the educational ladder. Less is known about the impact of adult children’s educational mobility on their parents’ subjective well-being. Moreover, the role of family structures and gender dynamics in shaping the well-being outcomes of such mobility has often been overlooked. The study employs the Diagonal Mobility Model to estimate the effects of net mobility on subjective well-being, independently of both parents’ (origin) and their adult children’s (destination) educational levels, using data from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies. The results show that the subjective well-being of both generations was influenced by origin and destination, with a more pronounced effect from their own education. Notably, downward mobility adversely affected individuals’ and their parents’ subjective well-being, a phenomenon observed exclusively among those in only-child families. Among these parents, mothers with an upwardly mobile daughter reported the highest life satisfaction. These findings point to a shift in the traditional gendered parent-child dynamics and underscore the adverse consequences of downward mobility that sway both generations in only-child families.

Parent-child emotion dynamics in families presenting for behavioral parent training: Is there a link with child behavior, parenting, and treatment outcome?

Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the standard of care for early onset behavior disorders (BDs), however, not all families benefit. Emotion regulation (ER) is one potential mechanism underlying BPT outcomes, yet there are challenges in capturing intra- and interpersonal aspects of emotion regulation within parent-child interactions that are central to BPT. This study examined how vocally encoded emotional arousal unfolds during parent-child interactions and how parents and children influence each other's arousal (Aim 1), the links between these emotion dynamics, child behavior, and parenting at baseline (Aim 2), and BPT outcome (Aim 3). Families of children with BDs (N = 45) completed two interaction tasks and measures of parenting and child behavior. Parent-child dynamics of vocal fundamental frequency (f₀) were modeled using actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) and coupled linear oscillators (CLOs). When considering relative levels of f₀ from one talk turn to the next (APIMs), parents and children showed intrapersonal regulation and synchronizing reactivity to each other's f₀. When considering the shape of oscillations (CLOs), parents and children showed intrapersonal regulation but no reactivity. Intrapersonal regulation of f₀ during the interaction was slowed for parents with more maladaptive parenting and children with more behavior problems at baseline. This preliminary characterization of f0 in families presenting for BPT provides insights into the emotion dynamics potentially underlying parenting behavior and child behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effect of Acculturation Stress Asian-American Immigrants on Parent-Child Relationship

This paper delves into the impact and effect of acculturation stress on parent-child relationships within Asian immigrant families. The literature review highlights the significant rise in the Asian immigrant population over the past few decades and addresses the prevalence of mental health issues among the demographic, citing acculturation stress as a key contributing factor. By conducting a series of interviews on 14 East-Asian families, the study investigates how the age and timing of immigration profoundly influence an individual's ability to assimilate into the host country, thereby differently shaping parent-child dynamics. Notably, those who came as infants face relatively lower acculturation stress, yet have the most conflicts with familial relationships due to clashing cultural backgrounds and generational differences. Conversely, those immigrating in their teenage and adult years are more prone to acculturation stress. However, they tend to maintain a relatively positive familial relationship due to a reliance on family for mental and emotional support. Understanding the interplay between acculturation stress and parent-child relationships in first-generation Asian immigrant families can offer valuable insights on improving support and fostering healthier familial relationships.

Kesantunan Tindak Tutur Menyuruh oleh Orang Tua kepada Anak dalam Bahasa Jawa

Javanese politeness theory and language learning lack comprehensive understanding of politeness principles in ordering speech acts outside Java island. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing politeness strategies used by Javanese parents in Kenagarian Sungai Duo when giving orders to their children. Employing a mixed-methods approach with qualitative and descriptive statistics, the research uncovered six politeness principles employed in parents' speech: generosity, humility, sympathy, wisdom, praise, and agreement. Notably, parents prioritize generosity (16.66%) and other strategies to soften their commands, creating a highly polite communication environment (97% compliance). These findings suggest a nuanced understanding of parent-child dynamics and Javanese politeness beyond the island's borders, opening doors for further investigation into regional variations and their impact on family communication.

The effect of parental diabetes prevention program participation on weight loss in dependent children: a prospective cohort study

IntroductionObesity has reached epidemic proportions in children and adolescents in the United States. Children’s behaviors are strongly influenced by parental behaviors, and weight loss in parents is positively associated with weight changes in their overweight/obese children. Research is limited on how parents’ National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) participation affects the health outcomes of their dependent children. Analyzing the impact of parental DPP participation on weight loss in their dependent children may provide valuable insight into an important secondary benefit of DPP participation.MethodsIn this study, we identified 128 adults with prediabetes who were offered the opportunity to participate in a DPP (n = 54 DPP participants and n = 74 DPP non-participants) and who had at least one child 3 to 17 years of age living with them. Age and BMI percentile for dependent children were collected from insurance claims data for 203 children (n = 90 children of DPP participants and n = 113 children of DPP non-participants). Parental practices related to diet and physical activity were assessed by surveys.ResultsThere were no significant changes in BMI percentiles of overweight or obese children (i.e. BMI percentile ≥ 50%) of DPP participants vs DPP non-participants with prediabetes over one-year. Parents who enrolled and did not enroll in the DPP did not report differences in their parenting practices related to diet and physical activity.DiscussionThese results are not consistent with the literature that suggests parent-based interventions may influence their children’s weight trajectories. Limitations include small sample size, short time span of intervention, and limited availability of additional health/biographic data on dependent children. Future studies should collect primary outcome data on children, investigate whether there is a minimum duration of parental involvement and level of parental adherence, and assess the effect of parent–child dynamics on child weight trajectories.

Fathering styles in a traditional culture and its association with marital relationship: A latent profile analysis with a nationally representative sample.

This study had two main objectives. The first goal was to examine fathers' parenting styles in a society with traditional patriarchal values. The second goal was to understand the extent to which marital relationship variables (i.e., marital satisfaction and spousal support) are related with the identified fathering profiles. The theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the "parenting styles" literature that form the foundation of the research on parent-child dynamics are still mainly based on data collected only from mothers. This weakness of the literature on fathering typologies is further accompanied by the scarcity of data on fathers' parenting practices from non-Western contexts. To achieve the study aims, a latent profile analysis based on warmth and control dimensions of parenting was performed using a nationally representative sample of 1070 urban fathers in Turkey. Using scores on six parenting behavior variables (i.e., warmth, punishment, inductive reasoning, positive parenting, discipline and teaching responsibilities, time and talking together), results revealed four fathering profiles: "authoritative" (30%), "average" (45%), "uninvolved" (16%), and "disciplining-distant" (8%). Furthermore, the results showed that the fathering profiles significantly differed from each other on the marital satisfaction and spousal support scores. Results highlight the importance of investigating fathering behaviors and their predictors in different cultures.

The Role of Family-Level Factors in Childhood Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused pervasive disruptions to family life. In light of the established role of parent-child dynamics in the maintenance of pediatric anxiety, we conducted a multilevel, multimodal study to examine how family-level factors moderate anxious youths’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic (“pre-pandemic”), children with anxiety disorders (n = 28; ages 6-12) completed an fMRI task probing parental modulation of amygdala reactivity to fearful faces. During the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (“mid-pandemic”), parents completed questionnaires about their family’s exposure to COVID-19-related stress, their child’s COVID-19-related fears and behaviors, and their own (parental) functioning. Pre-pandemic parental modulation of amygdala reactivity moderated the association between children’s exposure to COVID-19-related stress and their COVID-19-related fears and behaviors. Furthermore, greater mid-pandemic parental assistance with their child’s use of venting and with their child’s use of expressive suppression as emotion regulation strategies exacerbated the effects of COVID-19-related stress on children’s COVID-19-related fears and behaviors, respectively. These results provide preliminary insight into the ways in which distinct family-level factors may buffer or exacerbate the effects of COVID-19-related stress on youth with a history of anxiety disorders.

Editor’s Introduction

Editorial| February 23 2023 Editor’s Introduction The Cormac McCarthy Journal (2023) 21 (1): 1. https://doi.org/10.5325/cormmccaj.21.1.0001 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Editor’s Introduction. The Cormac McCarthy Journal 23 February 2023; 21 (1): 1. doi: https://doi.org/10.5325/cormmccaj.21.1.0001 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectivePenn State University PressThe Cormac McCarthy Journal Search Advanced Search As I write this, The Passenger has been published, Stella Maris is right around the corner, and conversations about McCarthy’s newest work have started in earnest—in reviews, in classrooms, and on pages that will eventually make their way into future issues of this journal. The McCarthy Society dug into some initial discussions at conferences held in Dublin in June 2022 and Savannah in September 2022, and we hope to host a small symposium in Fall 2023 in order to further those inquiries. Stay tuned for details!This issue opens with Kevin Power’s keynote from the Dublin conference, “Babycinos at the End of the World: Cormac McCarthy and Parenthood.” (I wonder if this is the first time that “babycinos” has been a search term in the MLA Bibliography?) Conor Picken follows with a consideration of different parent-child dynamics in his article about Suttree and alcoholism. Jonathan and Rick Elmore take up... You do not currently have access to this content.

Parent-child dynamics as predictors of dissociation in adulthood

This Australian study examined 310 respondents’ retrospective reports about the quality of their relationship with their caregivers during their childhood to identify the dynamics that predict clinical levels of dissociation in adulthood. The sample comprised 277 university participants and 32 inpatients and outpatients receiving treatment for a dissociative disorder. The authors developed the 32-item parent-child dynamics questionnaire (PCD-Q) to understand and identify aspects of the relational dynamics and home environment that give rise to dissociation. The PCD-Q demonstrated excellent internal reliability and effectively differentiated between groups with different levels of dissociation. For females in the university sample, parent-child dynamics were clearly positive for 186 non-dissociative controls, mildly positive for the 27 individuals with elevated levels of dissociation consistent with a dissociative disorder or PTSD, and mildly negative for the 26 with clinical levels of dissociation, whereas the 30 females in the clinical group experienced clearly negative dynamics. The PCD-Q demonstrated protective factors from dissociation as parental care, being able to seek comfort, and developing self-esteem and self-worth; experiences of safety (absence of unpredictable parental behaviour, powerlessness and control, unfairness, secrecy, isolation, and dysfunction), and feeling seen and being supported on the road to independence. Nineteen items (59%) had large effect sizes, and 11 items (34%) had medium effect sizes. In males, despite the small sample, significant differences were found between the 34 controls and 12 dissociators for half the PCD-Q items. The findings suggest parent-child dynamics may be equally as influential as trauma in the aetiology of dissociation.

Holding together after disaster: The role of social skills in strengthening family cohesion and resilience

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigated how a flooding disaster impacted family cohesion and resilience.BackgroundDisasters present challenges for families, often threatening family cohesion. Although there is extensive research on the impacts of disasters on mental health at the individual level, less is known about how family units recover from disasters, and how parental relationship dynamics and parent–child dynamics influence family functioning during and after such traumatic events.MethodQualitative face‐to‐face interviews were conducted 1 year after the 2013 southern Alberta flood with 105 parents of children ages 17 years and under.ResultsFindings reveal that families who experienced more loss were not necessarily more negatively impacted overall. Some families reported the flood caused them to grow further apart, whereas for others it brought them closer together. Those who reported that the flood brought them closer together demonstrated the following three main social skills: (a) communication, (b) conflict resolution, and (c) coping. Findings also reveal that families have higher levels of cohesiveness and resilience post‐disaster when they exhibit these important skills.ConclusionThis research concludes that coming together as a family unit created a supportive space for families to process and reduce the stress generated by the flood event. Families who demonstrate and practice communication, conflict resolution, and coping in the face of challenging events like disasters are more cohesive and resilient.ImplicationsUnderstanding how key social skills influence family members' functioning post‐disaster in terms of cohesion and resilience provides important insight into strategies, services, and resources that can be adopted and utilized to support families in disaster contexts.

19.3 Never Have I Ever...Seen Families Like Mine Navigate Mental Health on Screen

South Asian American (SAA) youth face challenges elevating risk for mental illness yet underutilize mental health services. Parent-child dynamics related to differential levels of acculturation, peer relationships, and mental health–related stigma in South Asian families have been identified as culturally specific stressors for SAA youth. This presentation demonstrates how a television program can serve as a tool to promote cultural humility in engaging Indian American children and families in mental health treatment.

Devoted dads: evaluation of a parent education program for incarcerated fathers

Parent education for incarcerated parents can be an important support for families and may increase father involvement. Devoted Dads, a 12-week parenting program, was implemented in three state correctional facilities. Program topics included parent-child relationships, family dynamics, coparenting, and communication. The goal of the program was to equip incarcerated fathers with resources to positively engage with their children and coparents. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys for the program as well as evaluations for each session. Analysis results showed positive participant experience of the program as well as improvements in fathers’ reports of their own parenting experience and their relationship with co-caregivers. Pre-post changes in parenting knowledge and skills measures and prison-related stress areas were significantly different when fathers had preschool age children compared to those who only have school aged, teen, and/or adult children.

The Experience of Sex Guilt: The Roles of Parenting, Adult Attachment, and Sociosexuality

Sociosexuality, comfort with sex outside the confines of a committed relationship, and parent–child dynamics have been associated with experiences of sex guilt. However, the mechanisms through which family dynamics are related to sociosexuality and sex guilt are still unclear. Using a developmental framework, in a cross-sectional study, we examined whether attachment styles and parent–child relationships would be associated with the development and maintenance of sociosexuality. We hypothesized that insecure attachment styles and sociosexuality would independently and positively mediate the relationship between parent–child relationship quality (accepting/rejecting) and sex guilt. Findings support past research and suggests that parental rejection predicts insecure attachments, which positively predicts unrestricted sociosexuality, and in turn, is negatively associated with sex guilt. This could suggest that sociosexuality may act as a buffer for sex guilt among this sample.