Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025
The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
Examining the Relationships Between Parenting Practices, Children's Temperament, and Academic and Behavioural
Calpanaa Jegatheeswaran1, Samantha Burns1, Michal Perlman1
1Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada.
Insights
Difficult child temperament, particularly negative emotionality, influences parenting. Hostile parenting mediates the link between temperament and conduct problems, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in diverse, low-income families.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Maternal childrearing practices significantly influence child development.
- Difficult child temperament, characterized by negative emotionality, affects parenting styles.
- Existing research highlights the interplay between temperament, parenting, and child outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mediating role of parenting practices in the relationship between child temperament and academic/behavioral outcomes.
- To examine these associations within a low-income, ethnically diverse sample.
- To understand how maternal responsiveness and overprotective parenting relate to child vocabulary development.
Main Methods:
- Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze data from 163 families.
- A two-step process involving confirmatory factor analysis and latent path analysis was used.
- Key variables included child temperament (negative emotionality), parenting practices (hostile, overprotective, responsive), and child outcomes (conduct problems, receptive vocabulary).
Main Results:
- Child temperament positively correlated with hostile parenting and conduct problems.
- Hostile parenting was directly associated with increased child conduct problems.
- Maternal overprotective parenting negatively impacted receptive vocabulary, while maternal responsiveness positively influenced it.
- Hostile parenting significantly mediated the association between child temperament and conduct behavior.
Conclusions:
- Parenting practices mediate the effects of child temperament on behavioral outcomes, particularly conduct problems.
- Maternal responsiveness and overprotective parenting are linked to receptive vocabulary development.
- Findings underscore the importance of tailored interventions for diverse, low-income families to support positive child development.
Abstract:
Maternal childrearing practices play a prominent role in a child's developmental outcomes. Difficult child temperament, specifically, negative emotionality, impacts parenting practices. The present study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the mediating role of parenting practices on associations between children's temperament and academic and behavioural outcomes in a low-income and ethnically diverse sample. The present study consists of a sample of 163 families. The average age of the children was 32.40 months (SD = 2.61 months). The average age of the mothers was 34.35 years (SD = 5.32 years). Structural equation modelling examined the relationship between children's temperament, parenting practices, and child outcomes. A two-step procedure was conducted to test this model: confirmatory factor analysis followed by latent path analysis. The results show that children's temperament was significantly and positively associated with mothers' hostile parenting and children's conduct problems. Hostile parenting was positively associated with children's conduct problems. While overprotective parenting was negatively associated with children's receptive vocabulary scores, maternal responsivity was positively associated with better receptive vocabulary in children. Finally, hostile parenting was found to play a significant and positive mediating role in children's conduct behaviour. Maternal practices are associated with outcomes in children with negative emotionality, underscoring the need for tailored interventions in diverse, low-income families.
More Related Videos
08:09Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
04:20Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model
Published on: July 12, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
01:27Parenting 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...
01:29Environmental Influences on Intelligence
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
01:28Adler's Individual Psychology