Maternal child-centered attributions and harsh discipline: The moderating role of maternal working memory across socioeconomic contexts.

Abstract

Cognitive models of parenting give emphasis to the central role that parental cognitions may play in parental socialization goals. In particular, dual process models suggest that parental attribution styles affect the way parents interpret caregiving situations and enact behaviors, particularly within the realm of discipline. Although research has documented the negative behavioral repercussions of dysfunctional child-centered responsibility biases, there is heterogeneity in the level of these associations. Research has also demonstrated that parental working memory capacity may serve as an individual difference factor in influencing caregiving behaviors. Thus, our first aim was to document how maternal working memory capacity may moderate the association between mother’s dysfunctional child-oriented attributions and use of harsh discipline. In addition, from an ecological perspective, a second aim was to examine how socioeconomic risk may further potentiate the impact of maternal working memory. To accomplish these aims, a socioeconomically diverse sample of 185 mothers and their three-year old children were recruited to participate in a laboratory-based research assessment. Findings revealed that lower maternal working memory capacity may operate as a risk factor for attributional biases and harsh discipline, while higher working memory may serve as a protective factor in this relationship. Socioeconomic risk further moderated these findings. Results suggest that the moderating role of working memory may be particularly pronounced under conditions of socio-economic risk. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Predicting Treatment Success in Child and Parent Therapy Among Families in Poverty

“…A growing body of research indicates a strong relationship between attributional style and a negative caregiver-child relationship (Leung & Slep, 2006;Snyder et al, 2005;Sturge-Apple et al, 2014;Wilson et al, 2006). Negative child-referent attributions have been linked to more severe or punitive discipline strategies (Leung & Slep, 2006;Sturge-Apple et al, 2014) and conduct problems in young children at home and in school (Wilson et al, 2006;Snyder et al, 2005).…”

“…Negative child-referent attributions have been linked to more severe or punitive discipline strategies (Leung & Slep, 2006;Sturge-Apple et al, 2014) and conduct problems in young children at home and in school (Wilson et al, 2006;Snyder et al, 2005). More specifically, parents that attribute their child's behaviors (Routledge) and permission has been granted for this version to appear in e-Publications@Marquette.…”

“…Parental attributions, in particular, are thought to play an important role in treatment participation (Corcoran & Ivery, 2004;Peters, Calam, & Harrington, 2005) and the overall quality of the parent-child relationship (Leung & Slep, 2006;Snyder, Cramer, Afrank, & Patterson, 2005;Sturge-Apple, Suor, & Skibo, 2014;Wilson, Gardner, Burton, & Leung, 2006). Attribution Theory, the Parent-Child Relationship, and Parent and Child Therapy Attribution theory was originally developed by Fritz Heider in the 1950s (Heider, 1958) and sought to explain how people form explanations for the causes of social behavior.…”

“…as more child-referent (within the child's control and intentionally provocative) are more likely to engage in harsh discipline practices (Sturge-Apple, et al, 2014). Negative parent-referent attributions have been linked to unsatisfying parenting experiences (Hageskull, Bohlin, & Hammarberg, 2001), childhood behavior problems (Hageskull et al, 2001;Johnston, Hommersen, Seipp, 2009), and more authoritarian or permissive styles of parenting (Leung & Slep, 2006).…”

Can cognitive maps provide insight into women who hurt their children?

“…Triggers are defined as stimuli that initiate an action, process, or series of events. [16,[18][19][20] Examples of triggers in the context of filicide and abuse are the stress of trying to be a good mother without the benefit of adequate role modeling or social support, fear, desperation, substance abuse and revenge. Genetic and environmental vulnerabilities can predispose to certain triggers particularly if the women were not exposed to a reparative environment during formative years.…”