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About this paper symposium
| Panel information |
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| Panel 14. Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships |
| Paper #1 | |
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| Indirect Effect of Maltreatment on Child Cooperative Engagement through Maternal Sensitive Guidance | |
| Author information | Role |
| Jennie Marie Boulus, University of Notre Dame, United States | Presenting author |
| Katherine Edler, University of Notre Dame, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Kristin Valentino, University of Notre Dame, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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The dyadic co-construction of narratives about children’s emotional experiences during reminiscing is a unique way to examine mother-child attachment. As mothers sensitively guide their children during reminiscing, they provide opportunities to explore their emotional world, which is an important developmental task during early childhood. Child maltreatment is a pathogenic relational experience that disrupts the attachment relationship and negatively impacts maternal sensitive guidance during reminiscing, which has deleterious effects on child functioning (Speidel et al., 2019). Yet research is needed to examine the association between maltreatment and the quality of children’s contributions during reminiscing (i.e., cooperative engagement). Further, although one meta-analysis suggests that maternal reminiscing does not vary by child sex (Waters et al., 2019), the unique context of family violence was not examined where differences in maternal reminiscing in sons vs. daughters emerged. The present study used baseline data from a longitudinal randomized control trial of maltreating mothers and their 3- to 6-year-old children (Table 1). Maltreating dyads were recruited through DCS, and nonmaltreating families were recruited through organizations that supported families with similar demographics. We hypothesized that maltreatment would negatively predict cooperative engagement. Second, we hypothesized that maltreatment would have a significant indirect effect on child cooperative engagement via sensitive guidance. Third, we hypothesized that the indirect effect would be stronger – and more negative – for mother-son dyads than mother-daughter dyads. Reminiscing conversations about four past shared emotional experiences (happy, sad, scared, and angry) were coded following the Autobiographical Emotional Events Dialogue paradigm (Koren-Karie et al., 2003). The dimensions of maternal reminiscing (focus, encouraged child, involvement/ interest, closure of negative feelings, structuring, overall adequacy and coherence) and child reminiscing (focus, accepted mother’s ideas, active cooperation, resolving negative emotions and elaboration) were rated on a 9-point Likert scale. Ratings on the scales were averaged to form the sensitive guidance composite and the cooperative engagement composite. Inter-rater reliability was achieved (ICCs .73-.93). Path analyses were conducted using Mplus. Counter to our first hypothesis, maltreatment did not significantly predict cooperative engagement (b =-0.086, p>.05). Consistent with our second hypothesis, maltreatment negatively predicted maternal sensitive guidance (b=-0.303, p< 0.05), and sensitive guidance significantly predicted cooperative engagement (b=.763, p< 0.01). The indirect effect was significant with 95% confidence [-0.446, -0.052]. To test the third hypothesis, we ran a multigroup model to test the conditional indirect effect using child sex as the grouping variable. The conditional indirect effect did not differ by child sex (b=0.384, p=0.075). Findings elucidate how less sensitive guidance is a mechanistic process by which maltreatment negatively impacts children’s reminiscing. Our results underscore how mother-child reminiscing is a rich context for observing attachment; as children’s interactions with parents move towards the verbal domain, sensitive guidance may provide children the space to explore their emotions and engage in the conversation with their mother as a secure base. Our results suggest that children experiencing maltreatment may struggle with processing negative emotional themes that emerge during reminiscing through poor maternal sensitive guidance. |
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| Paper #2 | |
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| Trauma, Attachment, and Affective Communication: Examining Latine Mothers’ Responses to Children’s Fearful Memories | |
| Author information | Role |
| Lyric Noelle Russo, University of California, Irvine, United States | Presenting author |
| Frances Li, University of California, Irvine, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Jose Arreola, University of California, Irvine, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Jessica Borelli, University of California, Irvine, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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Introduction: The transmission of trauma across generations poses a significant risk to the emotional health and well-being of families, particularly in communities with limited access to mental health resources (Cerdeña et al., 2021). Parents with histories of childhood trauma are more likely to experience difficulties in providing sensitive and supportive caregiving, potentially affecting their children’s emotional development and attachment security (Vaillancourt et al., 2017). These intergenerational patterns of trauma transmission are especially critical to understand in Latine families, who may face additional challenges related to racism, discrimination, and socioeconomic stressors that can exacerbate the impact of trauma on family dynamics (Cerdeña et al., 2021). Despite the profound implications for child development and family functioning, the specific ways in which parental trauma histories influence parent-child interactions, particularly in terms of affective communication and attachment behaviors with non-infant children, have not been fully explored (Vaillancourt et al., 2017). This study contributes to this understanding by examining how Latina mothers’ experiences of childhood abuse shape their emotional responses to their children’s disclosures of fearful or unsafe memories, with the goal of informing culturally attuned interventions that support healthy attachment and emotional resilience within these communities. Hypotheses: Building on existing literature, we hypothesize that mothers with histories of childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, and exposure to intimate partner violence in the home will exhibit more anger (H1), hostility (H2), incompetence (H3), and abandonment (H4) during the task. We also expect these trauma histories to correlate with lower sensitivity (H5) and a reduced ability to provide a safe haven/secure base during these mother-child interactions (H6). Study Population: The study involved N = 128 low-income Latine mother-child dyads (Mage = 41.28 years, SDage = 6.24; Mage = 12.37 years, SDage = 2.07; 55.5% male, 42.2% female). Methods: Each dyad participated in a 5-minute attachment-based interaction task designed to explore the child's previously undisclosed memory involving fear or feeling unsafe. Trained bicultural research assistants facilitated the sessions, which were recorded for later coding. Mothers also completed the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (Kubany et al., 2000) to report on their trauma history, as well as provided demographic information for themselves and their child. Results: Although no significant associations emerged for maternal sensitivity or safe haven/secure base behaviors, notable links were found between mothers' childhood trauma histories and their responses during the task. Specifically, a history of childhood physical abuse was associated with greater displays of anger (p=0.02) and hostility (p<0.01), while childhood sexual abuse was linked to abandonment (p=0.03). Finally, a history of intimate partner violence in the home was associated with displays of incompetence (p=0.02) during the interaction. We discuss the findings in the context of developing culturally sensitive interventions for Latine families to address intergenerational trauma. Links between childhood abuse and maternal behavior highlight the need for tailored support and improved access to mental health resources. This approach aims to foster healthier family dynamics and equip families to navigate systemic challenges, ultimately promoting overall well-being. |
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| Paper #3 | |
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| Pregnancy PTSD symptoms: A Potential Explanatory Link in the Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma | |
| Author information | Role |
| Matthew Marvin, Michigan State University, United States | Presenting author |
| Alexandra Ballinger, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Amy Nuttall, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Cecilia Martinez-Torteya, University of Michigan, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Maria Muzik, University of Michigan, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Joseph Lonstein, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| G. Anne Bogat, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Alytia Levendosky, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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When children experience trauma, it can lead to a developmental cascade conferring risk for negative outcomes throughout the lifespan, including during parenthood. For example, childhood trauma exposure is associated with less sensitive parenting (Pereira et al., 2012). Furthermore, childhood trauma is associated with adult PTSD symptoms, which are also known to interfere with sensitive parenting (Crittenden et al., 2017; Scheeringa et al., 2021). What is less clear, however, is the effect of pregnancy PTSD symptoms on parenting. During pregnancy, mothers organize themselves psychologically for a caregiving role, and this process may be derailed by PTSD symptoms and affect future caregiving (Muzik et al., 2016). Moreover, psychological and physiological aspects of pregnancy can trigger increased PTSD symptoms, including those resulting from childhood trauma (Seng et al., 2010). Given pregnancy is a sensitive developmental period in the female lifespan, it is important to examine the associations between childhood trauma, PTSD symptoms during pregnancy, and parenting. Specifically, pregnancy PTSD symptoms may mediate the association between childhood trauma exposure and parenting behavior. The current study involved 446 participants (see Table 1 for sample demographics) recruited in early pregnancy. Participants reported on their childhood trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-V during the first pregnancy visit (M = 17.5, SD = 2.5 of pregnancy). Observed parenting was coded postpartum (M = 6.6, SD = .80 months) during free play interaction using an adaptation of the NICHD mother-child interaction scales. Positive parenting was a latent variable comprised of the sensitivity, positive regard, cognitive stimulation, and dyadic mutuality codes. We hypothesized that childhood trauma exposure would be associated with less positive, more intrusive, and more detached parenting as well as more negative regard during parenting. Furthermore, we hypothesized that there would be an indirect effect of childhood trauma exposure on parenting via maternal pregnancy PTSD symptoms, such that higher childhood trauma would lead to higher PTSD symptoms, which would then be associated with worse parenting outcomes. Counter to our hypotheses, childhood trauma predicted less negative regard (b = -.17, p < .05). There were no other main effects of childhood trauma on parenting. Consistent with our hypothesis, however, there was a positive association between childhood trauma and pregnancy PTSD symptoms (b = .38, p < .05). Furthermore, the indirect effect of childhood trauma on positive parenting via PTSD symptoms was significant such that more childhood trauma predicted more PTSD symptoms, which predicted less positive parenting. The results suggest that mothers exposed to trauma during childhood display less negative regard during interactions with their child, possibly due to a desire to protect their children from high levels of negativity they may remember from their childhood or due to affective blunting. Furthermore, findings indicate that it is not childhood trauma exposure per se, but the pregnancy PTSD symptoms associated with such trauma exposure, that predict parenting. Overall, this work suggests that interventions designed to reduce PTSD symptoms during pregnancy are critical to disrupt the intergenerational effects of trauma. |
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| Paper #4 | |
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| Prenatal and Postnatal Representations of the Child and Parenting in the Context of Trauma Exposure | |
| Author information | Role |
| Joohee Lee, Michigan State University, United States | Presenting author |
| Matthew Marvin, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Alexandra Ballinger, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| G. Anne Bogat, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Alytia Levendosky, Michigan State University, United States | Non-presenting author |
| Abstract | |
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Background: Maternal representations of a child, which influence a mother’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors toward her child, begin forming during pregnancy and evolve through mother-child interactions. (Benoit et al., 1997). These can be classified as balanced or non-balanced (disengaged and distorted) using the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI) (Zeanah et al., 1996). Balanced representations are associated with positive parenting, while disengaged and distorted representations predict less responsive and more controlling behaviors (Dayton et al., 2010). Research suggests prenatal representations may impact parenting more than postnatal ones by the child’s first year (Theran et al., 2005). However, how these early representations compare to postnatal representations in shaping long-term parenting remains unclear. Intimate partner violence (IPV), a prevalent traumatic stressor among women, triggers emotional and behavioral dysregulation, disrupting maternal representations and interactions with her child (Levendosky et al., 2011). Thus, understanding IPV’s role in the association between maternal representations and parenting is crucial. This study aimed to (1) examine associations between prenatal and postnatal balanced, disengaged, and distorted representations and observed parenting at four years postpartum among mothers oversampled for IPV and low-income, and (2) test whether balanced versus non-balanced prenatal representations have stronger associations with parenting compared to postnatal representations. Methods:150 mothers participated in the longitudinal study. Data were collected during three time points: the third trimester of pregnancy (T1), when the child was one-year-old (T2), and when the child was four-years-old (T3). Maternal representations were assessed at T1 and T2 using the WMCI, categorizing mothers into balanced, disengaged, or distorted based on their narrative descriptions of their child. Parenting behaviors—sensitive, intrusive and unresponsive —were coded by observing mother-child interactions at T3. Three multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to examine the effects of prenatal and postnatal representations on parenting, with IPV and income as covariates. Results: Prenatal maternal representations significantly influenced parenting four years after birth, while postnatal representations showed no significant effects. Mothers with balanced prenatal representations showed greater sensitivity and lower unresponsiveness than those with disengaged or distorted representations. Mothers who maintained balanced representations both prenatally and postnatally demonstrated higher sensitive parenting and lower unresponsive parenting, compared to those who shifted from non-balanced to balanced representations. Mothers who shifted from balanced to non-balanced representations displayed higher sensitivity and lower unresponsiveness than those who remained non-balanced. IPV negatively impacted parenting by reducing sensitivity and increasing unresponsiveness. Discussion: These findings suggest that prenatal maternal representations have a more enduring effect on parenting than those formed postnatally, even when representations change positively. Results support the notion that representations established during pregnancy continue to influence parenting beyond the first year. Stern (1995) explains this lasting impact by stating that prenatal representations are shaped by the combination of expectations for the child and the mother’s past relationships. The integration of these into the prenatal representations, developed in utero, thus serves as a stable blueprint for parenting. This study highlights the importance of early interventions during pregnancy to improve the quality of maternal representations, particularly in families at risk for IPV. |
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Interpersonal Trauma, Attachment, and Child Development: Navigating Emotional Landscapes in the Caregiving Relationship
Submission Type
Paper Symposium
Description
| Session Title | Interpersonal Trauma, Attachment, and Child Development: Navigating Emotional Landscapes in the Caregiving Relationship |