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Experiencing Instigations and Trait Aggression Contribute to Harsh Parenting Behaviors
1Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA.
Psychological Reports
|June 1, 2017
Summary
Experiencing an instigation increases harsh parenting behaviors. While parents high in trait aggression also show more harsh behaviors, their aggression level did not significantly amplify the effect of instigation on harsh parenting.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Harsh parenting behaviors can negatively impact child development.
- Understanding factors that contribute to harsh parenting is crucial for intervention and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if experiencing an instigation increases harsh parenting behaviors.
- To examine if high parental trait aggression exacerbates the effect of instigation on harsh parenting.
- To assess these relationships across different measures of harsh parenting.
Main Methods:
- Three studies with a total of 1777 parents were conducted.
- Instigation was manipulated in Studies 1 and 2, and perceived in Study 3.
- Harsh parenting was measured through self-reports of likelihood, proxy tasks, and past behaviors.
Main Results:
- Both child instigations and parental trait aggression were linked to increased harsh parenting.
- Parental trait aggression moderated the association between instigation and harsh parenting only for self-reported physical harsh behaviors.
- Little evidence was found for a significant interaction between instigation and trait aggression across all measures.
Conclusions:
- Situational factors (instigation) and individual differences (trait aggression) independently influence harsh parenting.
- The interaction between these factors in predicting harsh parenting is limited, particularly for non-physical harsh behaviors.
- Findings highlight the distinct roles of situational triggers and individual predispositions in harsh parenting.
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