Emerging behavior problems: Bidirectional relations between maternal and paternal parenting styles with infant temperament.

Abstract

The present study examined bidirectional effects between maternal and paternal parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive) and infant temperament (negative affect, orienting/regulatory capacity, surgency) in a diverse sample of 201 mothers and 151 fathers. Using 3 waves of longitudinal data (prenatal, 6 months, and 18 months), this study examined (a) whether maternal and paternal parenting styles prospectively predicted infant temperament; (b) whether mother-and father-reported infant temperament domains predicted parenting styles at 18 months; and (c) whether infant temperament and parenting styles at 6 months predicted parent-reported externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors at 18 months. Mothers and fathers reported on their expected parenting styles at all three waves, infant temperament at 6 months, and their toddler's emerging internalizing and externalizing problems at 18 months. Prospective parenting style effects revealed that maternal authoritative and permissive parenting style predicted infant orienting/regulatory capacity. Child evocative effects indicated infant orienting/regulatory capacity and negative affect predicted greater maternal permissive parenting style. Significant prospective parenting style effects on infant temperament and child evocative effects on paternal parenting style were largely not observed. Several parenting styles and infant temperament domains at 6 months predicted toddlers' externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors but results differed by parent. Findings suggest maternal prenatal perceptions of parenting style predict infant temperament, but temperament can also affect subsequent parenting. More research is needed to identify fathers' bidirectional effects including how fathering is affected by their children's characteristics.

Parenting and prosocial behaviors: A meta‐analysis

“…These findings corroborate the bioecological model illustrating that development is embedded within different social interactions (Bronfenbrenner, 2004), such as in terms of child-father and child-mother dyads. These findings also support the fathering literature which emphasizes the critical role of paternal parenting in different aspects of development, such as psychosocial functioning (Möller et al, 2016) and behavioral outcomes (Wittig & Rodriguez, 2019).…”

Sex differences in associations between early adversity, child temperament, and behavior problems

“…For example, parents who are predisposed toward abusive behavior may lack appropriate coping and parenting skills that are required to manage young children with difficult temperaments (Maltby et al, 2018). Furthermore, difficult temperament in early childhood and negative parenting have been found to mutually exacerbate one another over time in bidirectional ways (Micalizzi et al, 2017; Wittig & Rodriguez, 2019). Therefore, it is possible that our results actually reflect transactions among adversity, temperament, and child behavior problems.…”

Longitudinal Study of Maternal Beliefs About Infant Crying During the Postpartum Period: Interplay With Infant’s Temperament

“…Planalp et al also found that infant surgency affected maternal playing behavior in addition to maternal caregiving, and approaching toys and a lot of laughter were also aspects of surgency. Although studies have shown that negative emotionality and orienting affected the way parents interact with their children or parenting style ( Scaramella et al, 2008 ; Wittig and Rodriguez, 2019 ), it is possible that parenting behaviors closer to the temperament may be more susceptible to children’s temperament. In the Japanese version of the IBQ used in this study, the dimensions related to crying, such as distress to limitation and fear, were classified as surgency, and thus may have been most strongly associated with maternal beliefs about infant crying.…”

“…In a recent longitudinal research study, mothers’ higher authoritative parenting style predicted later infants’ greater orienting, while higher maternal permissive parenting style predicted later infants’ lower orienting. Conversely, infant orienting was shown to positively predict the mother’s subsequent permissive parenting style ( Wittig and Rodriguez, 2019 ). Bridgett et al (2009) also showed that initial lower levels of infant orienting predicted more negative parenting 14 months later.…”