Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
08:42
A Familiarization Protocol Facilitates the Participation of Children with ASD in Electrophysiological Research
Published on: July 31, 2017
Links between Discipline Practices and Early Childhood Behavior Problems: Universal or Culture-Specific?
Ela Sehic1, Christie Pham1, Eric E Desmarais1
1Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|August 14, 2026
Summary
Harsh parenting, including shouting and hitting, is linked to child behavior problems like internalizing and externalizing issues across cultures. Reducing coercive discipline may benefit children globally.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Harsh parental discipline negatively impacts child emotional and behavioral development.
- Early childhood mental health issues can affect long-term functioning.
- Understanding cultural variations in discipline is crucial for child well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between parental disciplinary approaches (inductive and power assertion) and child behavior problems (internalizing, externalizing, total) across 14 countries.
- To investigate the role of within- and between-culture variance in discipline techniques.
- To test hypotheses regarding cultural values, socialization goals, and acceptance of disciplinary approaches.
Main Methods:
- Multilevel modeling was used to analyze data from 865 caregivers across 14 countries.
- Caregivers reported on child behavioral, social, and emotional functioning.
- Parental disciplinary techniques were assessed, including shouting, hitting, and taking privileges.
Main Results:
- Shouting, hitting, and taking privileges predicted total behavior problems and internalizing problems.
- Shouting and taking privileges predicted externalizing problems.
- Parental hitting and taking privileges significantly predicted internalizing problems, with notable random slope effects across cultures.
Conclusions:
- Findings support hypotheses, indicating both universal and culture-specific links between discipline techniques and child behavior outcomes.
- Coercive parental discipline practices are associated with increased child behavior problems.
- Interventions reducing coercive discipline may be broadly applicable across diverse cultural contexts.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
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...
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
01:21Behavior Modification
Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
01:28Behaviorism
The field of behaviorism was pioneered by figures such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner fundamentally shifted the focus of psychology to the observable and controllable aspects of human and animal behavior. This shift marked a critical evolution in the discipline, emphasizing scientific rigor and experimental methodology.
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...