Examining parenting behaviors as predictors of fine-grained dimensions of externalizing psychopathology in youth

Abstract

Although the associations between specific dimensions of parenting behaviors (e.g., inconsistent discipline, poor monitoring/supervision, positive parenting) and youth externalizing problems are well-studied, externalizing constructs have often been measured broadly, imprecisely, or inconsistently. To clarify this picture, we examined the links between parenting behaviors and fine-grained dimensions of externalizing-spectrum problems. Caregiver-report survey data were collected for 576 youths ages 6-14. Path models revealed that poor monitoring/supervision and inconsistent discipline emerged as robust, independent predictors of all seven types of externalizing variables examined; however, the effects of positive parenting were attenuated to non-significance in combined models. These results held when controlling for, and were not moderated by, demographic variables (parent/child age/gender). Findings underscore the importance of parents’ inconsistent discipline and poor monitoring/supervision in accounting for child externalizing problems, while also revealing the consistency of associations with various externalizing-spectrum problems (e.g., irritability, aggression, ODD, ADHD). Replication using multiple methods and informants is needed.