Parental Warmth Research Articles

Adolescents’ appraisal and disclosure mediate the links between parental practices and adolescents’ digital citizenship behaviors

Parenting-related factors are associated with adolescents’ online behaviors. However, the relationship between parenting and digital citizenship behaviors in adolescents and the variables underlying these relations must be clarified. This study examined the relationship between parental warmth, autonomy support, and provision of structure with digital citizenship behaviors. Additionally, whether adolescents’ appraisal of parental practices and media disclosure mediate these relationships. The study included 709 Mexican adolescents aged 11–18 (52% female) who completed self-report questionnaires. The analysis using latent structural equation modeling found that both parental warmth and autonomy support were positively associated with digital citizenship behaviors, while parental structure provision did not show a significant relationship. The study also revealed that adolescents’ positive appraisal of parental practices and media disclosure mediate the relationships between parental practices and digital citizenship behaviors separately and sequentially. These findings indicate that parental warmth, autonomy support, and structure provision may enhance digital citizenship behaviors in adolescents through positive appraisal of parenting and media disclosure.

Gender Differences in the Development of Children’s Conduct Problems: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study

Abstract Gender differences in the trajectories of conduct problems have received very little attention in the literature. The present four-year longitudinal study explores gender differences in conduct problems trajectories through early childhood, assessing gender-specific predictors and outcomes. We identified gender-separated conduct problems trajectories in a sample of 2246 young children (M age in wave 1 = 4.25; 48.5% girls) using latent class growth analyses. We found five trajectories for girls (i.e., low, average, downward, upward, and stable high) and four for boys (i.e., low, average, stable high, and upward). Low parental warmth was related to the most problematic trajectories only in girls. The interpersonal psychopathic trait (grandiose-deceitful) was more pronounced in girls with higher conduct problems scores relative to other psychopathic traits, whereas in boys, the impulsive trait stood out. Meanwhile, boys’ trajectories were more diverse in terms of negative outcomes (e.g., bullying, victimization) than those of girls. This study contributes to the body of work on heterogeneity in conduct problems by identifying different trajectories according to gender, and shows the relevance of gender in understanding the predictors, development, and outcomes of conduct problems.

Different parental rearing behaviors and depressive symptoms of adolescents: Roles of psychological insecurity and core self-evaluations

Depression is the second most common mental disorder among adolescents worldwide. From the perspectives of emotional security theory and interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, parental rearing behaviors impact adolescents’ depressive symptoms. The current study aims to uncover the underlying relationship mechanisms between different parental rearing behaviors and depressive symptoms. A sample of 372 junior high school students participated in this study. The results indicated that parental rejection and overprotection were associated with psychological insecurity and depressive symptoms, and parental emotional warmth was positively related to core self-evaluations. Paternal rejection had a more substantial impact on the lower distribution of depressive symptoms scores in the 25th percentile, while maternal rejection was significantly related to depressive symptoms in the 50th and 75th percentiles. Adolescents’ depressive symptoms were reduced when they had more paternal and maternal emotional warmth. Indirect effects of parenting behavior on depressive symptoms through core self-evaluations and psychological insecurity were found. Adolescents with higher levels of parental emotional warmth reported lower levels of psychological insecurity, which was related to higher levels of core self-evaluations; moreover, core self-evaluations were negatively related to depressive symptoms.

Early parent-child interaction and home environments of children exposed prenatally to opioids: A comparison of biological mothers and out-of-home caregivers.

Children born to mothers with opioid use disorder (OUD) are at increased risk of maltreatment and out-of-home care (OOHC) placement. This study examines the parent-child interaction quality and home environments of 92 New Zealand children with prenatal opioid exposure (OE) and 106 non-opioid-exposed (NE) children. Experiences for those in maternal care versus OOHC were of particular interest. Biological mothers completed a lifestyle interview during late pregnancy/at birth. At 18 months, parent-child interaction observations, maternal/primary caregiver interviews, and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment were completed during a home visit. At age 4.5, children underwent developmental assessment. By 18 months, 20% of OE children were in OOHC. Mothers with OUD who were younger, less cooperative, and had increased polysubstance use during pregnancy were more likely to have lost custody of their child. OE children in their mother's care experienced less positive parenting and lower-quality home environments than NE children. OE children in OOHC had similarly resourced environments to NE children, yet experienced lower levels of parental warmth and responsiveness. Early parenting predicted child cognition, language, and behavior 3 years later, underscoring the critical importance of supporting the parenting and psychosocial needs of OE children's parents/caregivers to improve long-term outcomes.

The Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Association of Grandiose Narcissism With the Quality of the Parent-Child Relationship

Grandiose narcissism has been shown to interfere with the establishment of long-lasting relationships. Evidence on whether grandiose narcissism negatively affects the parent-child relationship, however, is less conclusive. Using data from a large, nationwide sample in Germany, the present study investigated the cross-sectional and longitudinal links between the agentic and antagonistic facets of grandiose narcissism and multiple indicators of the parent-child relationship. Results of multilevel analyses showed that particularly antagonistic narcissism was cross-sectionally, but not longitudinally, associated with a decreased level of intimacy and parental admiration within the parent-child relationship. Antagonistic narcissism was also cross-sectionally linked to reduced parental warmth and increased negative communication. These effects were observed across parent and child reports, underscoring the robustness of the results. The study highlights the importance of considering grandiose narcissism’s role in the parent-child relationship, suggesting that particularly antagonistic narcissism is associated with a dysfunctional family environment.

Parental warmth and children’s prosocial behavior: The role of group orientation

Parental warmth and children’s prosocial behavior: The role of group orientation

Parental emotional warmth, self-control and adolescent prosocial behavior: The moderating role of multilocus genetic and parental gender differences

Parental emotional warmth, self-control and adolescent prosocial behavior: The moderating role of multilocus genetic and parental gender differences

Warmth and Control: Examining the Associations between Chinese Parenting Behaviors and Children's Academic Performance in Different Parent-Child Dyads.

Few studies have comprehensively examined the reciprocal relation between specific parenting practices and children's academic performance across parent and child gender. The present study investigated the bidirectional associations between parental warmth/control and children's academic performance using a three-wave longitudinal multi-informant design. A total of 814 families (Mchild age = 10.36 years; SD = 1.22, 57% girls) participated in the study. Results of the random-intercept cross-lagged models indicated that paternal warmth promoted children's academic performance at the between-family level, whereas maternal warmth promoted children's academic performance at the within-family level. Interestingly, paternal control predicted better academic performance in boys over time (i.e., the within-family level) but contributed to girls' worse academic performance than others (i.e., the between-family level). These results highlighted the gender-universal effects of parental warmth and the gender-specific effects of parental control on child academic performance in the Chinese context. These findings underscored the necessity of considering parent-child dynamics across different parent-child gender dyads.

Адаптация к новой реальности: обзор международных исследований специфики развития детей, оставшихся без попечения родителей, в замещающих семьях и при усыновлении

<p>This article analyzes the challenges encountered during the adoption of children or their placement in substitute families across various countries, with a focus on their adaptation, psychosocial development, cognitive abilities, and social integration. To achieve the objectives of this research, the scope was not limited to adopted children but extended to children deprived of parental care who were placed in alternative forms of family care (substitute families—such as guardianship families, including foster families). Foreign researchers differentiate between foster children: “substitute family” — raised in a foster or substitute family, “adopted children” — adopted, “looked after children” — under guardianship, “foster families” — temporary stay in families, (an analogue is the system of state care in Russia), who are waiting for a suitable family for upbringing and long-term residence. The possibility of studying this category of children is associated with the practice of open adoption prevalent in most countries. In contrast, the secrecy of adoption in Russia impedes the ability to track the developmental dynamics of children, particularly those adopted at an early age. The study examines key factors influencing the well-being of adopted children and children under kinship guardianship, including the impact of cultural differences, models of adoption (open and closed), early traumatic experiences, and the level of support provided to foster families. Special attention is paid to medical aspects, academic performance, psychological issues, and potential behavioral deviations. An analysis of international data identifies the primary challenges faced by adopted children, such as legal troubles, emotional instability, and difficulties in social integration. It is revealed that the source of psychological trauma in most cases lies in the pre-adoption period of the child's life, which often includes factors collectively referred to as adverse childhood experiences. Parental attention and warmth in relationships can significantly mitigate the challenges faced by children. The article underscores the importance of an interdisciplinary approach, including collaboration between government institutions, NGOs, and educational organizations, to minimize the negative effects of adverse childhood experiences and improve the quality of life for children.</p>

Correlation between self-efficacy, parental parenting patterns, and severe depression in adolescents.

Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant psychological changes. This study explores how self-efficacy and parental parenting styles may influence the risk of severe depression among teens. The hypothesis is that higher self-efficacy and authoritative parenting patterns will be negatively correlated with severe depression in adolescents. To investigate the correlation between self-efficacy, parenting patterns and major depression in adolescents, and to provide guidance for mental intervention. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Patients with major depression and healthy adolescents in the hospital control group were selected as the study objects. The General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Parenting Style Evaluation Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used as research instruments. Data input and statistical analysis were performed, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, through SPSS software. The study found that depressed patients had significantly lower self-efficacy than healthy controls, and parenting style was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in terms of emotional warmth and understanding, punishment severity, and denial. Specifically, parental emotional warmth and understanding were significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms, while parental punishment severity and denial were significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms. Self-efficacy showed a significant negative correlation with depressive symptoms, indicating that higher self-efficacy had lower depressive symptoms. Adolescent major depressive disorder patient was significantly associated with their parenting style and self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy is associated with decreased depressive symptoms, so improving adolescent self-efficacy and improving parenting style are important.

Perceived parental warmth, emotional stability, and academic burnout of adolescents: a longitudinal mediation study

This longitudinal study explored whether there are differences between the associations of perceived paternal and maternal emotional warmth to Chinese adolescents’ academic burnout. It also investigated whether emotional stability mediates the potential association of perceived parental emotional warmth and academic burnout. Four scales were used to measure perceived paternal and maternal emotional warmth and emotional stabilities. Participants were 404 adolescents (46.8% males, M age=13.36 years, SD = 1.50 years) who were monitored for approximately 1 year. The results indicated that there is no statistically significant link between perceived parental emotional warmth and students’ academic burnout. However, emotional stability was found to mediate the link between perceived maternal (but not paternal) emotional warmth and academic burnout. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the role of emotional stability in the association between perceived maternal emotional warmth and academic burnout.

Parent and Youth Interventions for Chinese American Families to Address COVID-19 Related Discrimination and Promote Youth Mental Health

Asian American youth experienced high levels of discrimination during COVID-19, which negatively impacted their mental health. To address discrimination and promote youth mental health, we developed a novel and culturally sensitive virtual intervention involving both Chinese American parents and youth through collaboration with local Chinese language schools and community organizations. The parent component was based on Parent-Child Connect, a culturally sensitive parenting program for Chinese American parents. The youth program was culturally adapted based on the Strong Kids curriculum. Ninety-one Chinese immigrant parents (Mage = 47.64; SDage = 5.51) and 62 Chinese American youth (Mage = 12.71; SDage = 1.65) participated in the intervention between 2021 and 2023. Retention rates were high: about 82% of parents and youth completed the intervention and post surveys. Results suggest the intervention was effective in promoting positive parenting behaviors (autonomy granting, parental warmth), reducing negative parenting behaviors (verbal hostility, punitive parenting, shaming, directiveness), and improving parental sense of competence, parent-child communication, and parent self-efficacy to support youth during discrimination. Youth also reported significantly greater social and emotional learning knowledge and resilience, increased positive coping, emotional regulation, and mental health. Findings contribute to the limited literature on culturally adapting interventions for Chinese American youth and parents. Impact Statement This is one of the first culturally responsive mental health program involving both Chinese American parents and youth to address discrimination and youth mental health challenges. Findings contribute to the limited literature on how to collaborate with schools and communities to culturally adapt interventions for Chinese American youth and their parents.

Development and validation of the Parental Affection/Warmth Scale (PAWS) in a sample of parents of 2- to 8-year-olds.

Parental warmth is a treatment target of emerging interventions for children with callous-unemotional traits. However, research to date has yet to examine the empirical structure of parental warmth toward young children due to the lack of clinically feasible, psychometrically sound, and comprehensive measures of warmth for this population. To address this knowledge gap, the present study developed and tested the psychometric properties of a self-report measure of parental warmth, the Parental Affection/Warmth Scale (PAWS). A sample of 899 parents of 2- to 8-year-old children (M = 4.77 years, SD = 1.95; 46.1% girls) was recruited online using Amazon's Mechanical Turk and CloudResearch. Exploratory factor analysis identified a novel three-factor structure: Warmth, Toddler-oriented Interaction, and Play-based Interaction, which was validated by a confirmatory factor analysis. However, only the PAWS Warmth subscale functioned consistently with theoretical expectations. PAWS Warmth scores were internally consistent; convergent with existing positive parenting scales; discriminant from negative parenting scales; and concurrent with child empathy, callous-unemotional traits, and conduct problems. Findings have implications for refining treatment targets for interventions focused on enhancing parental warmth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the role of parental warmth and its association with developmental trajectories of delinquency across cultures.

Despite previous research delving into the trajectories of delinquency during adolescence and their links to parental warmth, there remains a notable gap in understanding cultural differences in these trajectories and associated factors. This study sought to address this gap by examining and comparing the levels and trajectories of delinquency, along with their association with parental warmth, between the United States and South Korea. The study included American adolescents (N = 5,665) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) at Wave I (1995), II (1996), and III (2001) and Korean adolescents (N = 3,449) selected from the Korean Youth Panel Survey at Wave I (2003), II (2004), and VI (2008). The participants, including both adolescent boys and girls at the age of 14/15 at Wave I, completed surveys at each wave. Results from latent growth curves showed that delinquency levels peaked in middle adolescence and declined thereafter in both countries. The initial level of delinquency was higher for American adolescents than for Korean adolescents, however, the slope of delinquency declined faster for American adolescents than for Korean adolescents. Further, the protective effect of parental warmth on delinquency was stronger for Korean adolescents than for American adolescents. The cultural differences in the levels and trajectories of delinquency, along with the different strengths of the protective effect of parental warmth, highlight the importance of considering cultural contexts in understanding delinquency trajectories and the protective role of parental warmth against delinquency.

Stress and child internalizing symptoms: Examining the moderating role of Latino fathers' warmth and support.

Latino immigrants within the United States experience various stressors, which have been linked to the development and exacerbation of internalizing symptoms among Latino youth. Therefore, it is crucial to explore factors that may buffer the impact of stress among immigrant families. Fathers may influence child outcomes through positive parenting behaviors, yet Latino fathers have been underrepresented in research. This study examined how paternal warmth and support may moderate the association between the accumulation of stress and child internalizing symptoms among low-income, Latino immigrant families. Participants included 62 children between the ages of 6 and 10, and their paternal caregivers (94% fathers; 90% born in Mexico). This study utilized a multi-method approach including parent-report, child-report and observational measures. Participants completed questionnaires and video-recorded family interaction tasks during home visits. Stress was positively associated with child-reported depression. Self-reported paternal warmth was associated with fewer parent-reported child internalizing symptoms and moderated the effects of stress on symptoms. Analyses showed a significant positive association between paternal stress and child internalizing symptoms for children with the lowest levels of parental warmth. However, when paternal warmth was high, accumulation of stress and child internalizing symptoms were not related. Thus, high levels of warmth buffered the impact of stress on internalizing symptoms. This study highlights the importance of Latino fathers' parenting behaviors on child internalizing symptoms.

Parental warmth in mother-child dyads and children’s emotional adjustment during secondary-school transition: a longitudinal investigation on bidirectional relationships

AbstractThe transition from primary to secondary school affects children’s psychological functioning, necessitating resources for (post-)transition adaptation. Maternal warmth serves as a valuable resource, buffering against negative transition effects on emotional adjustment. Nevertheless, little is understood about the bidirectional effects of (divergent) mother-child reports on emotional adjustment during the transition to secondary school. Data from 2101 German children (48.8% female, Mage T1 = 8.57, SDage = 0.58) and their mothers (Mage T1 = 36.28, SDage = 4.49) from the pairfam panel, collected over seven annual waves from the children’s 3rd to 9th grades, were used. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were employed to examine within-family cross-lagged effects. The findings suggest that early in the transition to secondary school, low levels of maternal warmth and heightened emotional problems in children tend to co-occur and mutually reinforce each other over time. However, discrepancies in perceptions between mothers and children appear to have positive normative consequences rather than enduring negative impacts on children, particularly before the transition to secondary school. The results are discussed considering the progressing school transition, with additional developmental changes, such as puberty, potentially leading to changes in perceived and actual maternal warmth and emotional problems in children.

The role of interpersonal trust in the associations between parental warmth and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: A mediation analysis.

The rising rates of adolescent depression have become a critical concern, with family dynamics and interpersonal communication playing a significant role in this mental health issue. However, research on the combined effects of parental warmth and interpersonal trust on adolescent depressive symptoms remains limited. This study aimed to explore the association between parental warmth, interpersonal trust, and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. The sample included 2745 adolescents aged 9 to 18 from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D8 scale, which yielded an average score of 4.34. Among participants, 11.3% exhibited symptoms consistent with depression. Multivariate linear regression revealed that both parental warmth (β = -0.296, p < 0.001) and interpersonal trust (β = -0.197, p < 0.001) significantly predicted lower depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis indicated that interpersonal trust partially mediated the relationship between parental warmth and depressive symptoms, explaining 17.68% of the total effect (β = -0.032, 95% CI = -0.060, -0.016). These associations remained significant even after controlling for demographic variables. Our findings suggest that parental warmth protects against depressive symptoms, with interpersonal trust enhancing this protective effect. Interventions focused on fostering parental warmth and enhancing interpersonal trust could improve adolescent mental health.

Parental Warmth of Non-Offending Primary Caregiving Fathers Rearing Children in the U.S. Child Welfare System: Associations with Children’s Socioemotional Development

SYNOPSIS Objective. Fathers who are impacted by the child welfare system are often examined through a deficit lens. This cross-sectional study aims to assess paternal warmth as a positive dimension of non-offending, primary caregiving men’s fathering and examine the links between paternal warmth and children’s socioemotional development among families impacted by the U.S. child welfare system. Design. Data came from a subsample (N = 192) included in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being-Second Cohort. Primary caregiving fathers were from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, with biological fathers making up the largest group followed by foster fathers and grandfathers. Children’s internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and social competence were regressed on paternal warmth assessed using the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment-Short Form. Results. Paternal warmth did not differ by father type. Greater paternal warmth was associated with lower levels of children’s externalizing symptoms and higher levels of children’s social competence. Conclusions. Non-offending, primary caregiving fathers engage in positive fathering—in the form of paternal warmth—despite the multiple disadvantages they face, and such fathering is associated with beneficial socioemotional outcomes for their children. Family and child welfare practitioners should provide father-inclusive services to support fathering, especially within the often complex system of child welfare.

초등학교 1학년 아동의 여가시간 활용에 대한 잠재프로파일분석

Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify the latent profile of leisure time utilization among first grade children and to test the differences in its influencing factors and subjective well-being. Methods Using data from the eighth year of the Korean Child Panel (2015), we analyzed latent profiles (LPA) using the Mplus 8.3 program for 927 children in the first grade and their guardians. The R3STEP method was used to verify influencing factors and the DCON method was used to verify differences in subjective well-being. Results ‘Book-reading group’, ‘Going out group’, ‘TV/Media group’ were extracted as potential groups according to leisure time utilization, and gender, simulated controlling parenting behavior, parental warmth parenting behavior, and parental final education were identified as significant influencing factors. In the case of subjective happiness, ‘book-reading group’, ‘going out group’, and ‘TV and media group’ were found to be higher, and there were significant differences between the groups. Conclusions Discussed ways to support leisure activities that can improve children's subjective happiness.

Role of home nurturing environment on early childhood neurodevelopment: a community-based survey in Shanghai, China

BackgroundAges of 0–3 years are critical stages for children’s neurodevelopment. However, the impact of the home nurturing environment on early childhood neurodevelopment remains unclear.ObjectiveTo explore the role of the home nurturing environment on early childhood neurodevelopment and to provide evidence of an association between fostering quality home nurturing and achieving optimal neurodevelopment.Participants and settingAn online cross-sectional survey using the stratified sampling method was conducted from 16 June, 2021 to 18, February, 2022 in all 13 communities of Minhang District, Shanghai. A total of 2,402 children aged 0–3 years with balanced sex distribution were included.MethodsThe quality of home nurturing environments was measured using validated Child Home Nurture Environment Scales. Neurodevelopment was measured using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Third edition (ASQ-3). Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling was used to analyze the association between the quality of home nurturing environments and neurodevelopment.ResultsAmong children aged 0–1, neglect or restriction was reported as the most prevalent problem (8.02%) among home nurturing environment dimensions, and was associated with an increased risk of suspected fine motor development delay (OR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.18–6.69, P = 0.019). Among children aged 1–3, inadequate parental warmth, as the foremost (16.10%) problem, was associated with an increased risk of suspected gross motor development delay (OR = 4.12, 95% CI: 1.35–12.53, P = 0.013) and suspected personal-social development delay (OR = 12.50, 95%CI: 1.48-105.36, P = 0.020).ConclusionsPoor home nurturing environments were associated with an increased risk of suspected early childhood neurodevelopment delay. There exists a need for services to guide for establishing a quality home nurturing environment.