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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Father locus of control and child emotional and behavioral outcomes: a prospective study

Erin B Tone1, Stephanie Goodfellow, Stephen Nowicki

  • 1Georgia State University, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302-5010, USA. etone@gsu.edu

The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|March 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Parental characteristics before birth predict child behavior. Fathers' locus of control (LOCR) linked to sons' hyperactivity, while maternal emotional distress predicted daughters' behavioral issues.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Child Psychopathology

Background:

  • Parental factors before conception can influence child development.
  • Understanding prenatal influences is crucial for early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between parental locus of control of reinforcement (LOCR) and child behavioral-emotional outcomes at age 7.
  • To explore the differential impact of paternal and maternal prenatal characteristics on child behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective longitudinal study of 307 couples.
  • Parental LOCR and emotional status assessed prenatally.
  • Child behavioral outcomes assessed at age 7 via teacher reports.

Main Results:

  • Fathers' prenatal LOCR significantly associated with child outcomes, especially hyperactivity in sons.
  • Maternal prenatal emotional distress predicted hyperactivity and behavioral-emotional problems in daughters.
  • Prenatal parental characteristics predict later child behavioral outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal and maternal factors preceding childbirth are linked to subsequent child behavioral patterns.
  • Findings suggest potential targets for preventing child psychopathology.
  • Early assessment of parental psychological factors may inform interventions.

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