Development of justification in disputes with mother and sibling.

The development of children's use of justification in disputes with their mothers and siblings and its relation to the social and emotional context of family disputes were studied in a longitudinal study of 43 children observed at home at 18, 24, and 36 months. By 36 months, children used justifications in about one third of their disputes with both mother and sibling, chiefly in terms of their own feelings, but also in terms of social rules and the material consequences of actions. Children's emotional behavior and use of justification differed according to the topic of dispute: Anger and distress were most often expressed at 18 months, and justification at 36 months was most often given by children in disputes about rights and conventions. Mothers, too, were more likely to justify in disputes over rights, and there was a significant association between child and mother justification. The significance of emotional experience and of family discourse in the development of reasoning about social issues is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interparental aggression and young children's representations of family relationships.

Children's maternal, self, and marital representations were examined in 46 children 3 1/2 to 7 years old using the MacArthur Story Stem Battery. Children drawn from agencies serving battered women expressed fewer positive representations of their mothers and themselves, were more likely to portray interparental conflict as escalating, and were more avoidant and less coherent in their narratives about family interactions than children from a nonviolent community sample. Interparental aggression uniquely predicted representations of conflict escalation and avoidance after accounting for parent-child aggression, and the two types of aggression had additive effects in predicting positive maternal representations. The results suggest that witnessing aggression in the family affects children's developing beliefs about close relationships and may be a process by which these experiences give rise to later problems in social and emotional functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital conflict and parental hostility: Links with children's sibling and peer relationships.

The authors examined the associations between marital conflict and children's relationships with siblings and peers. Mothers' and fathers' hostility toward children and children's interpretations of parents' marital conflict (self-blame and feeling threatened) were investigated as mediators between marital conflict and children's sibling and peer relationships. The sample included 136 intact 2-child families. Children were 7 and 10 years old. Data were collected from observations of marital and family interaction and from family members' reports. Results showed that marital conflict was associated with problematic sibling and peer relationships. Both maternal and paternal hostility mediated the associations between marital conflict and sibling relationships. The link between marital conflict and sibling rivalry was also mediated by children's feelings of self-blame for their parents' conflict. Fathers' hostility toward children mediated the association between marital conflict and children's problematic peer relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing associations between young children's relationships with mothers and teachers.

The current study was conducted to examine associations between children's maternal attachments and the quality of their relationships with teachers at 3 time points. The quality of the teacher-child relationship at 54 months, kindergarten, and 1st grade was regressed on blocks of predictors that included maternal attachment at 15, 24, and 36 months. There were 4 main findings. First, insecure/other attachment was a negative predictor of the quality of the teacher-child relationship at all 3 time points. Second, avoidant attachment was a negative predictor of the quality of the teacher-child relationship at 54 months. Third, in kindergarten, avoidant children in more hours of school had better quality relationships with teachers than avoidant children in fewer hours. Fourth, there were associations among the quality of the teacher-child relationship at all 3 time points. Implications for practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of family relationships and child temperaments to longitudinal variations in sibling relationship quality and sibling relationship styles.

Seventy-one families participated in a longitudinal study of family processes and variations in sibling relationship quality. Family cohesion and expressiveness, father–child relationship quality, fathers' differential treatment of siblings, and child temperaments were associated with positive and negative dimensions of sibling relationship quality across the longitudinal assessments, which spanned 5 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negotiating principles of entitlement in sibling property disputes.

Sibling property disputes were observed in 40 families, each with a 2- and a 4-year-old child, to study the application of principles of entitlement. Conflict outcomes, parent support, and justifying arguments were each analyzed in disputes involving ownership, possession, sharing, and property damage. Ownership and possession each influenced the conduct and outcomes of disputes, with ownership taking precedence over possession in children's arguments and in dispute outcomes. Parents did not clearly support either principle on its own and were as likely to argue in terms of possession as ownership rights. Parents supported children's sharing and prohibited property damage, but conflict outcomes upheld these principles only when parents intervened. Analyses revealed the strong influence of young children who argued, with increasing differentiation and sophistication, for principles of entitlement that were not strongly endorsed by their parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple attachment relationships within families: Mothers and fathers with two young children.

Security of attachment between mothers and fathers and their 2 children was examined in 41 maritally intact families. Strange Situation assessments of attachment security for the younger children (mean age?=?1 year 10 months), Attachment Q-sort ratings of the older children (mean age?=?4 years 8 months), and ratings of parental caregiving behavior of both children were obtained. Younger and older children developed concordant attachments to both parents. Parents were consistent in their caregiving behavior toward their 2 children. However, parents were not congruent in their attachment to their 2 children. Associations were found between maternal caregiving and attachment only in the younger group. The results support the idea that parental caregiving behavior accounts for only modest portions of the variance in attachment security; evolving attachments integrate developmental inputs from the children and the caregivers in the network of early family relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental gentle guidance and children's compliance within the family: A replication study.

In this study, the authors examined the link between young children's compliance and parental gentle guidance from a within-family perspective. Observational data from 57 families (mothers, fathers, and 2 siblings) participating in a family clean-up session were used to replicate earlier findings reported by B. L. Volling, A. Y. Blandon, and B. J. Gorvine (2006). Several of the results were replicated with the authors' older sample. Older siblings used more committed compliance and less passive noncompliance than their younger siblings. Mothers used more gentle guidance than fathers, but no differences were found in their parenting across siblings. Maternal and paternal gentle guidance interacted to explain younger siblings' committed compliance to the father and older siblings' situational compliance. For older siblings' committed compliance and both siblings' passive noncompliance, it was the direct effect of parental gentle guidance that was important. Differential parental gentle guidance appears to have a negative impact on older siblings' compliance. Results underscore the need to explore within-family processes to understand children's early compliance and internalization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Observed sibling interaction: Links with the marital and the mother–child relationship.

The study examines whether the link between the marital relationship and sibling interaction is direct or mediated by the mother–child relationship. Seventy-three same-sex sibling pairs aged 3 years 6 months to 8 years 6 months were observed during free play. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing marital functioning and their relationship with their 2 children. Results indicated that older siblings' negative behavior is linked with negative dimensions of the marital and the mother–child relationship, whereas younger siblings' negative behavior is linked with the mother–child and the differential mother–child relationship. Siblings' positive behavior, although linked with spacing, is not linked with positive dimensions of family interaction. Most important, the linkage between negative marital relations and older siblings' negative behavior was found to be mediated by maternal power assertion, thereby supporting the indirect model of negative family interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual, family, and peer factors associated with the quality of sibling relationships in families of youths with spina bifida.

Based on a social-ecological theoretical framework, this study sought to identify key individual (attitude toward spina bifida), family (satisfaction with family functioning), and peer (peer support) factors associated with the quality of sibling relationships in families of youths with spina bifida. A cross-sectional sample of 224 siblings of youths with spina bifida, ages 11-18 years, and parents participated. Siblings completed self-report measures of attitude toward spina bifida, satisfaction with family functioning, peer support, and warmth and conflict in their relationships with brothers and sisters with spina bifida. The parent provided information on spina bifida severity and family demographics. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the overall model in explaining variance in sibling-reported relational warmth (Adjusted R2 = .29) and conflict (Adjusted R2 = .17). Satisfaction with family functioning was the only ecological factor consistently associated with warmth and conflict in the sibling relationship. Findings have clinical implications for pathways to support positive sibling interactions in families of youths with spina bifida. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A structural equation model of dyadic relationships within the family system.

Ideas about the association between family interaction patterns and mental health have inspired a great deal of research on family relationships. Conventional statistical models (e.g., ANOVA), however, are not suited for the analysis of the nonindependent observations produced by family systems; yet, these sources of nonindependence (e.g., reciprocity, partner effects) are very interesting to many family researchers. This article demonstrates how structural equation modeling enables the study of family processes in a way that is consistent with a systems perspective. An analysis of perceived coerciveness in 2-parent, 2-child families illustrates the method. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotion regulation in mother–child narrative co-construction: Associations with children's narratives and adaptation.

The associations were studied between early mother-child co-construction of a separation–reunion narrative and children's concurrent and later (a) emotion narratives and (b) behavior problems. 51 children and their mothers were observed during a co-construction task when the children were aged 4.5 yrs. At ages 4.5 and 5.5 yrs, children's narratives were elicited using the MacArthur Story-Stem Battery (MSSB), and mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist. Results showed that children who were more emotionally coherent during the co-constructions had MSSB narratives that were more coherent, had more prosocial themes, and had fewer aggressive themes at ages 4.5 and 5.5 yrs. Moreover, such children had fewer behavior problems at both ages. The relations between narrative processes and emotion regulation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult sibling expressed emotion and fellow sibling deviance: A new piece of the family process puzzle.

Seventy-three older siblings were assessed in early adulthood with the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) measure of expressed emotion. Sibling critical expressed emotion was linked with younger brother concomitant and future antisocial behavior, substance use, deviant peer association, increased rate of criminal arrests, and early onset sexual activity. Siblings of younger brothers with behavior problems were also more likely to be critical of, and to report negative relationships with, these brothers than were siblings of well-adjusted brothers. Sibling critical expressed emotion also predicted younger brothers' maladjustment 1-2 years later, after controlling for earlier sibling conflict and parent discipline. The findings accentuate the importance of understanding the influence of intrafamilial processes in the etiology of behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Victimization by peers: Associations with children's reports of mother–child interaction.

Children who are chronically victimized by peers are at risk for personal difficulties. This study examined whether victimization is associated with mother–child interaction at home. Preadolescents (N?=?184; mean age?=?11.7 years) reported on their mother"s child-rearing practices and on how they cope during conflicts with their mother. Peers reported on victimization at school. Sex-specific links between perceived family interaction and peer victimization were found. For boys, victimization was associated with perceived maternal overprotectiveness, especially when boys reported reacting with fear during mother–child conflict. For girls, victimization was associated with perceived maternal rejection and with girls" reports of aggressive coping during mother–child conflict. Results support the theory that parenting that hinders children"s development of gender-salient competencies (autonomy for boys and communion for girls) places children at risk for peer victimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interaction between young siblings: Association with the interaction between mother and firstborn child.

Examined the quality of interaction between mother and firstborn (FB) in the first weeks following the birth of a sibling and its association with the quality of interaction between the siblings 14 mo later. Ss were 40 sibling pairs, with the 19 female and 21 male FBs aged between 18 and 43 mo at the sibling birth. Unstructured home observations were used. Results show that in families with FB girls, in which the interaction between mother and FB was characterized by frequent play, maternal attention, and infrequent prohibition, there was little positive interaction between the siblings 14 mo later. The effect was not explained by the interaction between mother and 2nd child. No such pattern of association was found for the families with FB boys. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent sibling relationships in Mexican American families: Exploring the role of familism.

To address a significant gap in the literature on normative processes in minority families, the authors studied adolescents' sibling relationships in two-parent Mexican American families and explored connections between sibling relationship characteristics and familism. Participants were 246 adolescent Mexican American sibling pairs who participated in (a) home interviews during which adolescents described their sibling relationships and familism values and (b) a series of 7 nightly phone calls during which adolescents reported their daily activities, including time spent with siblings and family members. Siblings described their relationships as both intimate and conflictual, and daily activity data revealed that they spent an average of 17.2 hr per 7 days in shared activities. Sibling relationship qualities were linked to familism values and practices, and stronger patterns of association emerged for sisters than brothers. Discussion highlights the significance of studying the processes that underlie within-group variations among families of different cultural backgrounds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Procedural justice in resolving family disputes: Implications for childhood bullying.

High levels of family conflict and poor family conflict resolution strategies are often associated with externalizing behaviors in children, including the behavior of bullying. Through family interactions, parents have the opportunity to convey a variety of messages to the child. Some of these messages are sent through the child’s appraisal of procedural justice, which refers to the judgments of fairness directed at the process by which a conflict is resolved. The current study investigated the relationship between appraisals of procedural justice in family conflict resolution and bullying among middle-school students. A sample of 1910 sixth through eighth graders completed a self-report survey on school violence. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant relationship in which higher appraisals of procedural justice during family conflict resolution were associated with lower frequencies of bullying by the child. Furthermore, this relationship was partially mediated by the internalization of the parent’s conduct during the conflict resolution process. The current study extended the research literature addressing the relevance of procedural justice in child development. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Binding ties: Closeness and conflict in adult children's caregiving relationships.

The authors used a path model to test the hypothesis that emotional closeness and conflict between adult–child caregivers (N?=?90) and their impaired parents mediated the impact of the parents' functional and cognitive impairment on the caregivers' subjective stress, subjective effectiveness, and depression. Closeness mediated the relationship between cognitive impairment and both stress and effectiveness, whereas conflict mediated cognitive impairment for all 3 outcomes and generally accounted for more variance. There was limited evidence that functional impairment was mediated by the quality of the relationship. Results highlight the importance of both positive and negative ties as intervening mechanisms influencing caregivers' well-being, especially in the presence of cognitive dysfunction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)