Interparental aggression, attention skills, and early childhood behavior problems

Abstract

The current study explored longitudinal associations between interparental aggression, the development of child attention skills, and early childhood behavior problems in a diverse sample of 636 families living in predominately low-income, nonmetropolitan communities. The results of latent-variable, cross-lagged longitudinal models revealed that maternal-reported interparental aggression in infancy predicted reduced observed attention skills in toddlerhood; no association was observed, however, between attention in infancy and interparental aggression during the toddler years. Further, reduced toddler attention and high interparental aggression were both associated with increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and conduct problems at 3 years of age. Processes largely operated in similar ways regardless of child gender or low-income status, although a few differences were observed. Overall, the results suggest that interparental aggression undermines attention development, putting children’s early behavioral adjustment at risk.

Relations Among Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Depressive Symptoms, and Maternal Parenting Behaviors

“…During this time, their partner completed videotaped interactions with the target child while the research assistants ensured that the respondent remained undisturbed. These procedures are consistent with those used by similar studies in which both parents were present during data collection (e.g., Barnett, Deng, Mills-Koonce, Willoughby, & Cox, 2008;Towe-Goodman, Stifter, Coccia, & Cox, 2011).…”

The Relationship between Household Chaos and Child, Parent, and Family Outcomes: A Systematic Scoping Review

“…It has also been suggested that the mechanism through which chaos impacts on parents is through increasing levels of stress and distraction, resulting in reduced regulatory functioning of the prefrontal lobe, and thus rendering even parents with normal to high emotional regulation and cognitive control compromised in their ability to parent effectively (128). For example, household chaos has been shown to moderate the relationship between parenting behaviours and child outcomes, whereby chaos exacerbates the effects of negative parenting behaviours and undermines the effects of positive parenting behaviours (4,25,27,59,74,93,98).…”

“…Taylor, 2014(36) HC mediated relationship between respect for rules and increased reading comprehension, even after controlling for income. Towe-Goodman, 2011 (74) In a low-i interpare and early low HC, t and incre income, h Tucker, 2018 (83) HC mode later, so moderate substanc Wang, 2012(79) HC mode and atten however, problems Wang, 2013 (98) The relat stronger strong fo Wilkinson, 2013(80) Depressi style at a Wirth, 2017(100) The relationships between ADHD and positive parenting, corporal punishment, and inconsistent discipline were somewhat mediated by HC. As such, high HC was associated with specific parenting dimensions in families with children with ADHD.…”

Links Between Contexts and Middle to Late Childhood Social‐Emotional Development

“…Lastly, self‐management skills represent one's ability to control their impulses, and to be self‐motivated and organized in completing tasks. Symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (e.g., impulsivity, inattention, failure to finish tasks, difficulties with organizing tasks and activities, or the tendency to lose things necessary for tasks and activities) may be indicative of one's self‐management skills (Kaminski, David‐Ferdon & Battistich, ; Towe‐Goodman, Stifter, Coccia, & Cox, ). This is in line with earlier studies suggesting that self‐management skills may be compromised in individuals exhibiting ADHD symptoms (Barkley, ; Hinshaw & Melnick, ).…”