Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
How Parents Cope With Value Tensions in Their Young Child's Nutrition: An Interview Study Informed by Paradox Theory.
Noa van den Brink1, Marina Bos-de Vos1, Valentijn T Visch1
1Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.
Maternal & Child Nutrition
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Parents navigate nutrition decisions by balancing personal and child values. Paradox theory reveals
Area of Science:
- Parenting and Nutrition Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Parents face value tensions between personal convenience and child's health during nutrition decisions.
- These tensions are heightened in disadvantaged settings with limited healthy food resources.
- Prioritizing one value over another (trade-offs) can lead to stress and unsatisfactory outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how parents cope with competing values in nutrition-related decisions.
- To apply Paradox theory to understand parents' management of persistent value tensions.
- To identify coping strategies used by parents of young children in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews with 20 parents of children aged 0-5.
- Abductive thematic analysis to identify coping responses.
- Categorization of coping responses into 'either/or' (trade-offs) and 'both/and' (compromise, paradoxical resolution) strategies.
Main Results:
- Parents employ both 'either/or' (trade-offs) and 'both/and' (compromise, paradoxical resolution) coping strategies.
- 'Either/or' trade-offs were more common than 'both/and' strategies.
- Three key 'both/and' themes emerged: food planning/preparation, managing child behavior, and supporting food acceptance.
Conclusions:
- 'Both/and' coping, which addresses competing values simultaneously, can help parents manage nutrition challenges.
- Facilitating factors at individual, interpersonal, and community levels support these 'both/and' strategies.
- Effective coping requires alignment with parents' values and context, supported by adequate resources and routines.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:27Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
Parenteral Nutrition (PN) delivers essential nutrients directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system. It is commonly used for individuals with severe digestive disorders or conditions that prevent normal nutrient absorption.
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
01:27Parenting Styles
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
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 Parenting
This...
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 Parenting
This...
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
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. This guiding role...
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. This guiding role...
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
02:16Self-Schemas
In general, a schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.