Reconsidering the relation between parental functioning and child externalizing behaviors: A meta-analysis on child-driven effects
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 3, 2025

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Ni Yan1, Arya Ansari2, Peng Peng3
1Faculty of Psychology.
Abstract:
Guided by multiple theories illustrating the transactional nature of the relation between parents' and children's behaviors, the present meta-analysis provides synthesized evidence on the strength of child-driven effects in eliciting changes in parents' psychological stress and parenting practices. A meta-analysis of 45 independent samples with 640 effect sizes found significant positive associations between children's externalizing behaviors and parents' subsequent functioning (r = .087, 95% CI [.07, .10]). These associations were net of parents' functioning at baseline, and the strength of these associations was statistically comparable with the effects of parents on children's externalizing behaviors (r = .075, 95% CI [.06, .09]). In addition, the strength of the child-driven effects did not vary as a function of child gender, age, or the time interval between assessments. The implications of these findings with respect to research on the dynamic relation between parenting functioning and children's adjustment are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Related Concept Videos
Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Conduct Disorder
Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory

