Tichovolsky, M., Arnold, D. H., & Baker, C. N. (2013). Parenting and parent predictors of changes in child behavior problems. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 34, 336-345.
As young children develop, many experience behavioral issues. For most children, these issues diminish and eventually disappear, but for others they continue into early adolescence. Cross-sectional studies have been conducted to examine the group of young children who exhibit such problems in order to find possible causes for the behaviors, however few longitudinal studies have been conducted. Conducting such longitudinal studies aims to locate possible reasons behind childhood behavioral issues and in turn may suggest ways that childhood behavior problems can be prevented.
The current study examined predictors of behavioral issues in preschool age children, including lax and overreactive discipline, single parent status, social support, parent involvement, and parent depression near the beginning of childrens’ last year of preschool. These behaviors were examined across sex as well as ethnicity and were reported by both parents and teachers. The children in the study came from seven childcare centers in two urban New England areas. Five of the centers served predominately low-SES families with ethnically diverse backgrounds while the other two facilities served predominately higher-SES European American families. The children in the study were approximately 26% African American, 32% Puerto Rican, 34% European, and 8% mixed ethnicity. Nearly all of the higher-SES families were European American, leading to a confound between SES and ethnicity. Parents and teachers completed survey items 2 months into the school year and again on average of 5.32 months later in order to document changes in behavior problems exhibited among the children.
This study found that parental discipline did not predict changes in behavior problems for boys, for girls, or for the sample as a whole. Children of single parents showed a smaller decrease in behavior problems compared to children of partnered parents, but this difference was not seen between genders or ethnicities. Social support was shown to decrease male behavior issues and increase female behavior issues. Parent involvement was a predictor for change in behavior problems but did not vary by gender. Levels of parental depression predicted increases in behavior issues for girls but not boys when parents were shown to be depressed.
Though this study was unable to replicate some of the findings from other research, it is important to keep in mind how a child’s environment can impact his or her behavior. This study also emphasized the importance of looking at predictive relationships over time as an important way to understand behavior problems in young children, as well as how and whether they change. This study focused on diverse families and used multiple strategies to look at how behavior problems might be amplified or reduced over time. All of these are strengths of the study with the potential to prompt future research.
The current study examined predictors of behavioral issues in preschool age children, including lax and overreactive discipline, single parent status, social support, parent involvement, and parent depression near the beginning of childrens’ last year of preschool. These behaviors were examined across sex as well as ethnicity and were reported by both parents and teachers. The children in the study came from seven childcare centers in two urban New England areas. Five of the centers served predominately low-SES families with ethnically diverse backgrounds while the other two facilities served predominately higher-SES European American families. The children in the study were approximately 26% African American, 32% Puerto Rican, 34% European, and 8% mixed ethnicity. Nearly all of the higher-SES families were European American, leading to a confound between SES and ethnicity. Parents and teachers completed survey items 2 months into the school year and again on average of 5.32 months later in order to document changes in behavior problems exhibited among the children.
This study found that parental discipline did not predict changes in behavior problems for boys, for girls, or for the sample as a whole. Children of single parents showed a smaller decrease in behavior problems compared to children of partnered parents, but this difference was not seen between genders or ethnicities. Social support was shown to decrease male behavior issues and increase female behavior issues. Parent involvement was a predictor for change in behavior problems but did not vary by gender. Levels of parental depression predicted increases in behavior issues for girls but not boys when parents were shown to be depressed.
Though this study was unable to replicate some of the findings from other research, it is important to keep in mind how a child’s environment can impact his or her behavior. This study also emphasized the importance of looking at predictive relationships over time as an important way to understand behavior problems in young children, as well as how and whether they change. This study focused on diverse families and used multiple strategies to look at how behavior problems might be amplified or reduced over time. All of these are strengths of the study with the potential to prompt future research.
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