Compliance and Internalization in Preschool Foster Children

Child compliance and internalization are socio-cognitive developmental processes which are critical for children's social outcomes in multiple arenas. These developmental processes are found to be compromised in maltreated children. The current study was designed to add to the extremely limited literature on compliance and internalization in maltreated children in foster care. Compliance and internalization tasks were administered to preschool foster children, videotaped and later coded. Through parent-report questionnaires completed by the foster parents and observations of the foster home, the relation of compliance/internalization to child behavior problems, foster care experiences, and the foster home environment was examined. Findings revealed that most children showed committed compliance, but over 50% of children exhibited “deviation” behaviors in the internalization task. HOME acceptance scores (via observation of parent and child in home setting) significantly contributed to children's compliance levels but did not significantly contribute to their internalization. Internalization was related to children's externalizing behavior problems. These findings are considered in the context of future research and practice with respect to young children in foster care.     

The Role of Value Priorities in Paternal and Maternal Involvement in Child Care

This study used the theory of human values to explore parents' involvement with their children. The relationships between maternal and paternal value priorities and various forms of involvement in child care were examined in a sample of 209 couples with 1 child between 6 and 36 months of age. As predicted, giving high priority to openness‐to‐change values (e.g., self‐direction, stimulation) and low priority to conservation values (e.g., tradition, conformity, security) is associated with more father involvement and less mother involvement. Moreover, and as predicted, the priority given by a spouse to achievement values is negatively related to this spouse's involvement in child care and positively related to the other spouse's involvement. Parents' sociodemographic characteristics partly mediate the associations between value priorities and involvement. The findings also indicate the importance of distinguishing different forms of involvement in child care.     

Community and individual acceptance: family planning services in the Sudan

The Sudan Community-Based Health Project, initiated by the University of Khartoum in cooperation with the Ministry of Health in 1980, sought to test the proposition that government-trained village midwives could provide maternal-child health and birth spacing services in addition to their ongoing obstetrical duties. The project area encompassed 92,000 people in 93 villages. The 120 midwives serving the project area received training in 4 interventions -- oral rehydration therapy, maternal and child nutrition, immunization, and birth spacing -- and introduced these services by means of 3 rounds of household visits over a 5-month period. Comparison of pre- and post-intervention survey data indicates that village midwives can indeed be used successfully to promote not only contraceptive use, but also health attitudes and practices that are positively associated with fertility regulation. Between the 2 surveys, the percentage of women who ever used contraception increased from 22% to 28%, while the percentage of current users rose from 10% to 13%. Parity was significantly related to current use; each child born multiplied the likelihood of contraceptive acceptance (by a factor of 0.76 in the post-intervention sample). Maternal education was the socioeconomic variable that most enhanced receptivity to contraceptive acceptance after the project's interventions. In terms of community-level variables, village location along the Nile and proximity to a paved road were significant correlates of contraceptive use. When variables related to the project itself were analyzed, women with vaccinated children were found to be twice as likely to contracept as those with nonvaccinated children and women who believed breast feeding should be continued during diarrhea episodes were 1.5 times more likely to use birth spacing than those who did not. Although midwives did not specifically emphasize contraceptive use, it appears women who were encouraged by midwives to take positive steps in the area of child health were also likely to become more innovative in terms of fertility regulation.     

Value,Attitude, and Belief Determinants of Willingness to Accept a Facility for the Homeless

Basic values, attitudes toward the homeless, and specific beliefs about a proposed facility were examined, along with the NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) phenomenon, to explore if, and to what degree, these factors affect community acceptance or rejection of a facility for the homeless. Previously designed Protestant ethic (PE) and Humanitarian-Egalitarian (HE) scales were used to measure two basic values (Katz & Hass, 1988). Scales to measure attitudes toward the homeless and beliefs about a planned facility were developed. As predicted, values, attitudes, and beliefs correlated with each other and were related to plan acceptance, so that HE, pro-homeless attitudes, and positive beliefs about the plan were positively related to acceptance, and PE, anti-homeless attitudes, and negative beliefs about the plan were positively related to rejection. Also as predicted, four proximity measures were all related to acceptance of the plan.     

Value,attitude, and belief determinants of willingness to accept a facility for the homeless

Basic values, attitudes toward the homeless, and specific beliefs about a proposed facility were examined, along with the NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) phenomenon, to explore if, and to what degree, these factors affect community acceptance or rejection of a facility for the homeless. Previously designed Protestant ethic (PE) and Humanitarian-Egalitarian (HE) scales were used to measure two basic values (Katz & Hass, 1988). Scales to measure attitudes toward the homeless and beliefs about a planned facility were developed. As predicted, values, attitudes, and beliefs correlated with each other and were related to plan acceptance, so that HE, pro-homeless attitudes, and positive beliefs about the plan were positively related to acceptance, and PE, anti-homeless attitudes, and negative beliefs about the plan were positively related to rejection. Also as predicted, four proximity measures were all related to acceptance of the plan.     

Characteristics of Mother‐Child Interactions Related to Adolescents’ Positive Values and Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to examine a theoretical model that considered accurate perception and acceptance of maternal values in relation to adolescents’ positive values and behaviors. One hundred fifty‐one mother‐adolescent dyads completed measures targeting adolescent and maternal perceptions of prosocial values and adolescent behaviors (M age of adolescent = 16.34 years). Path analysis using structure equation modeling revealed that accurate perception and acceptance of maternal values were positively related, both additively and multiplicatively, to personal values. Accurate perception and acceptance were negatively related to adolescents’ antisocial behaviors, and personal values were positively related to adolescents’ prosocial behaviors. The current study provides insight into how maternal discipline might influence adolescent behaviors indirectly through mother‐adolescent interactions.     

Longitudinal transactional relations among young children’s defiance and committed compliance and maternal assertive control

The main goal of this study was to more closely understand the direction of relations between maternal behavior and young children's defiance and committed compliance. We examined 256 mother–child dyads to explore developmental transactional relations between maternal assertive control, children's committed compliance, and children's defiance at 18 (T1), 30 (T2), and 42 (T3) months of age. After controlling for maternal gentle control, SES, and child sex, results showed parent effects for children's committed compliance, such that T1 maternal assertive control negatively predicted T3 committed compliance. Furthermore, toddlers’ behavior predicted T3 parenting; that is, toddlers’ T1 defiance positively predicted T3 maternal assertive control. Results of the present study indicate relatively long-term prediction (to 42 months) from both parent and child behaviors at 18 months of age, and the findings have implications for understanding the bidirectional and complex processes that account for young children's adaptive and maladaptive behaviors.     

Linking Magazine Exposure to Social Appearance Anxiety: The Role of Appearance Norms in Early Adolescence

Early adolescents (N = 1,591; M_age = 11.698; SD = 0.892) participated in a two‐wave panel study (6‐month interval) to examine the longitudinal association between appearance‐focused magazine exposure and social appearance anxiety. We revealed that magazine exposure positively correlated with the internalization of appearance ideals and the attribution of social rewards to attractiveness which, in turn, related to social appearance anxiety. Internalization and attribution of social rewards formed a reinforcing spiral; once internalized, early adolescents associate positive things with appearance ideals (e.g., peer acceptance) and the perception of rewards increases early adolescents' inclination to internalize ideals. Given the adverse consequences of social appearance anxiety, the findings warrant research on the role of media in the occurrence of social appearance anxiety.     

The effects of maternal working conditions and mastery on child behavior problems: studying the intergenerational transmission of social control.

We assess the impact of maternal sense of mastery and maternal working conditions on maternal perceptions of children's behavior problems as a means to study the transmission of social control across generations. We use a sample of 521 employed mothers and their four-to six-year-old children from the National Longitudinal Survey's Youth Cohort in 1986. Regarding working conditions, we consider mother's hourly wage, work hours, and job content including involvement with things (vs. people), the requisite level of physical activity, and occupational complexity. We also consider maternal and child background and current family characteristics, including marital status, family size, and home environment. Maternal mastery was related to fewer reported behavior problems among children. Lower involvement with people and higher involvement with things, as well as low physical activity, were related significantly to higher levels of perceived problems. In addition, recent changes in maternal marital status, including maternal marriage or remarriage, increased reports of problems; stronger home environments had the opposite effect. We interpret these findings as suggesting how maternal experiences of control in the workplace and personal resources of control can influence the internalization of control in children.     

Assets and liabilities, educational expectations, and children's college degree attainment

This research examines relationships among household assets and liabilities, educational expectations of children and parents, and children's college degree attainment. Special attention is paid to influences of different asset types (financial vs. nonfinancial assets) and liabilities (secured vs. unsecured debt). Results indicate that, after controlling for family income and other parent/child characteristics, financial and nonfinancial assets are positively related to, and unsecured debt is negatively related to, children's college completion. Furthermore, there is evidence that financial assets are positively associated with the education expectations of parents and children. Policy directions are suggested.     

Siblings of learning disabled children: Are they special,too?

Siblings of learning disabled children frequently establish rigidly defined and overdetermined roles in their families. Whether their role is as super achiever or the acting out child, these young people usually have low self esteem. They do not feel special. These roles will be discussed and explored in terms of the internalized expectations they represent which are derived, in part, from the narcissistic investment which parents direct towards these siblings. Implications for prevention and intervention will be addressed.and is in private practice.     

Further evidence for the multidimensional nature of maternal sensitivity: differential links with child socioemotional functioning at preschool age

There has been increasing scholarly attention to the study of maternal sensitivity as a multidimensional construct. This report investigated the predictive value of three dimensions of sensitivity during mother–infant interactions in an effort to gain greater understanding of how specific facets of sensitivity relate to child socioemotional outcomes. Maternal cooperation/attunement (accurate interpretation of infant cues and capacity to adjust the interaction correspondingly), positivity (positive attitude toward the infant), and accessibility/availability (consistent attentiveness) were assessed observationally in 195 mothers of 1-year-old infants. Child socioemotional functioning was assessed using behavioral tasks and maternal and teacher reports when children were 4 years of age. The results revealed that maternal accessibility/availability was predictive of less externalizing behavior, more prosocial behavior (mother- and teacher-reported), and better theory of mind, while maternal positivity predicted effortful control. These results highlight the advantages of a multidimensional assessment in understanding how sensitivity predicts different developmental outcomes.     

The Value of Children,Parenting Strains,and Depression Among Urban African American Mothers

This exploratory analysis examines the relationship between two dimensions of the parenting experience—values regarding children and parenting strains—and depression in a sample of 285 urban, economically disadvantaged African American women. An examination of this relationship among economically disadvantaged African American women is important in light of the high stress exposure of these mothers, their limited opportunity to engage in rewarding employment, and in view of the centrality of motherhood in this cultural context. Our central finding is that the impact of parenting strains on depression is substantially moderated by beliefs about the costs and emotional fulfillment associated with having children. African American mothers who regard the costs of children as low and the potential of children for providing emotional fulfillment as high are significantly more depressed by high parenting strains than African American mothers who hold the opposite beliefs about the costs and benefits of children. Variation in values regarding children and parenting strains accounts for more than 40% of variation in depression. These findings suggest the importance of understanding the social–psychological factors that contribute to the quality of parenting, not only because maternal mental health is important in and of itself, but because maternal well-being has a direct impact on child well-being.     

Helping Out the Kids: Expectations About Parental Support in Young Adulthood

This paper examines the expectations of very young adults (age 18) and their mothers about financial support that parents might provide under a variety of situations common in young adulthood. Using representative data from women and one of their children, we examine differences in expectations between mothers and children and model variation in these expectations. We find that a lower proportion of mothers expect to provide support than their children expect them to, with particularly large gaps between mothers and sons. Further, there are substantial differences in support priorities. Many mothers would support only a married child and others only an unmarried one; similarly, some mothers would support only an unmarried child at home, whereas many others would only support a child away. Although some of these differences reflect differences in resources, most suggest disagreements and confusion about Americans' family values.     

Quirky kids: fathers’ stories of embracing diversity and dismantling expectations for normative play with their children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Anchored in critical disability studies, we used a narrative methodology to study fathers’ stories of play interactions with their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three narratives convey how father–child interactions unfold and how patterns of interaction respond to, redefine and resist societal norms. Narratives of action demonstrate fathers’ responses to societal norms, while narratives of adjustment depict how fathers have redefined expectations of their children in the context of play. Narratives of acceptance demonstrate fathers’ attunement to, and acceptance of, their children’s preferred play interests and a resistance to play norms. We argue that fathers’ stories represent a step towards emancipating play for children with ASD in that fathers’ appreciation of their children’s quirky play accentuates the relational and social capabilities of children, thus countering deficit interpretations of the abilities of children with autism more broadly.     

Inverse J Effect of Economic Growth on Fertility: A Model of Gender Wages and Maternal Time Substitution

This paper presented a model where economic growth, via growth in female wages relative to male wages, encouraged households to raise paid female labor supply and have more children by substituting child care for maternal time. A threshold logarithm per capita output, above which fertility decline reverses, was predicted to depend on subsidized child care, maternity pay, and the value placed on children and maternal time spent rearing children. The predictions explained recent evidence and identified cross country differences in gender wages, family policy and willingness to substitute maternal time in childrearing as important factors in an inverse J-shaped effect of economic growth on fertility. The analysis was robust to the introduction of education and cost sharing among children in child rearing. Economies of scale in child rearing reduced the threshold logarithm of per capita output. Demand for child quality continued to rise with wages despite fertility decline reversal.     

Raising Children in Heterosexual and Same-Sex Families: French-Canadian Women’s Shared Maternal Experiences

In recent years, there has been growing interest in studying coparenting across family structures. However, to date little is known about how women coparent with other women in stepfamilies. To better understand the lived experience of women who coparent with other women in either heterosexual or lesbian stepfamilies, this exploratory qualitative study interviewed 15 adult women individually. The data analysis helped us identify the main trends pertaining to the manner in which participants conceptualize their maternal role and how they share and divide the maternal territory among the various women involved in parenting (step)children. Findings revealed 3 main themes: (a) the internalization of societal expectations about motherhood, (b) stepmotherhood is a coconstructed role that depends on consensus support, and (c) the role and importance of communication in dividing and sharing the maternal territory.     

Relationships Between (Step)Parents and Adult (Step)Children: Explaining Influences on Life Satisfaction and Marital Quality

The purpose of this study was to examine important influences of adult (step)children’s relationships with their biological fathers, biological mothers, and resident stepparents on their life satisfaction and marital quality and the moderating role of stepparent gender. The sample (N = 215) was from Wave 3 of the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). Results illustrate that (a) biological mothers and stepparents positively influenced life satisfaction among adult (step)children regardless of stepfamily type; and (b) that the influence of parent–child relationship quality on the adult child’s marital quality did vary as a function of stepfamily type. Specifically, there was a positive link between current stepmother–child relationship quality and the focal child’s current marital quality. The opposite link was found for those reared in stepfather households.     

The Relation of Cumulative Demographic Risk to Mothers' Responsivity and Control: Examining the Role of Toddler Temperament

The relations of cumulative demographic risk and children's temperament to mothers' parenting behaviors were examined when children were 18 (T1, n = 247) and 30 (T2, n = 216) months of age. Mothers, nonparental caregivers (e.g., child care providers), and observers reported on children's temperament to create a temperament composite, and mothers reported on demographic risk variables. Maternal responsivity and control were observed during 2 mother–child interactions at both time points. Cumulative demographic risk was related to low maternal responsivity concurrently and longitudinally, even after controlling for earlier temperament and responsivity, and demographic risk was positively related to maternal control at T1 and T2. Regulated temperament (i.e., low frustration and high regulation) was linked with high maternal responsivity at T1 and T2 and low maternal control at T2. Moreover, the positive relation between cumulative risk and maternal control at T1 was stronger when children were viewed as less regulated.