About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 14. Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

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Disruptive behavior in childhood impairs children’s development (Campbell et al., 2000) and, if left untreated, can have lasting effects on their families and society as a whole (Rivenbark et al., 2018). Risk and protective factors for disruptive behavior in childhood have been studied exhaustively, but much is still unknown about how their interplay unfolds exactly. One key mixed finding in earlier work is whether parental warmth buffers against the negative effects of harsh parenting on disruptive child behavior (Wiggers & Paas, 2022). In the present study, we will explore two possible ways in which parental warmth may act as a buffer. We examine whether (1) stable, ‘trait-like’ parental warmth (i.e., parents who are generally warm) and (2) momentary increases in parental warmth can mitigate the negative impact of momentary parental harshness on disruptive child behavior. In addition, we examine whether momentary warmth backfires in families where parents are generally less warm, strengthening rather than mitigating the effects of parental harshness on disruptive child behavior. This may occur because the sudden increase in warmth could feel unpredictable or inconsistent for these children, leading to confusion or frustration rather than providing comfort. Two hundred parents reported on their child’s (mage = 5.86, 51% girls, 49% boys, 78% Dutch, 17% bi-cultural, 5% other cultures) disruptive behavior as well as their own harsh and warm parenting behaviors 6 times a day for 12 consecutive days (~ 9500 data points). We will test our hypotheses using a two-level dynamic structural equation model (DSEM). Preliminary analysis of individual family patterns suggests that the buffering effects of warmth may vary across families. In some families, momentary warmth predicts less disruptive behavior at the next moment, while in others, it shows no significant effect. Building on these early insights, the more comprehensive results from the two-level DSEM analyses are expected to provide a deeper understanding of our main buffering hypotheses, with results expected in December 2024. We hope our findings will help refine our understanding of the interplay between harsh and warm parenting and guide practitioners in supporting families where parental warmth operates in different ways.

Author information

Author	Role
Merlin Nieterau, University of Amsterdam	Presenting author
Alithe van den Akker, University of Amsterdam	Non-presenting author
Geertjan Overbeek, University of Amsterdam	Non-presenting author
Patty Leijten, University of Amsterdam	Non-presenting author

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