Supportive parenting and social and behavioral development: Does classroom emotional support moderate?

Anxiety mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and internet addiction in adolescents, and family support moderated the relationship

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to discuss anxiety in mediating role between bullying victimization and adolescent internet addiction, and the moderating role of family support between bullying victimization and adolescent anxiety.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 provinces of China by convenience sampling from February to March 2024. A total of 1395 participants (599 boys and 796 girls) with an average age of 15.86 ± 0.74 years were included in the final analysis. Subjective data on bullying victimization, internet addiction, anxiety, and family support were collected and analyzed. A moderated mediation model was constructed.

RESULTS

After controlling for age and gender, bullying victimization was found to be a significant predictor of internet addiction (β = 0.130, p < 0.001). Anxiety has a complete mediating effect between bullying victimization and adolescent internet addiction. Specifically, bullying victimization significantly predicted adolescent anxiety (β = 0.264, p < 0.001). anxiety significantly predicted adolescent internet addiction (β = 0.417, p < 0.001). Family support alleviated the relationship between bullying victimization and anxiety (β= -0.032, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Bullying victimization can predict internet addiction through anxiety in adolescents, and family support can alleviate the predictive relationship between bullying victimization and adolescent anxiety. It is suggested that guardians should provide adequate support to adolescent bullying victimization in order to reduce the negative impact of bullying victimization on adolescents and prevent the occurrence of internet addiction.

Maternal Psychological Aggression, Problem Behaviors, and the Mediating Roles of Psychological Resilience and Self-Control in Preschoolers

Objective

This study examines the relationship between maternal psychological aggression (PA) and preschoolers' problem behaviors (PB), focusing on the mediating roles of psychological resilience (PR) and self-control (SC), and gender differences.

Methods

Mothers of 1141 preschoolers (52.9% boys, 47.1% girls; Mage = 4.26, SD = 0.85) participated in three waves of a longitudinal survey, each two months apart. Mothers participating in this study reported basic demographic information and PA at T1. PR and SC were reported at T2. PB of preschoolers was reported at T3. Path analysis models were employed to ascertain the relationship between PA and PB, as well as the mediating roles of PR and SC. Multiple group analyses were employed to ascertain the moderating role of gender.

Results

Maternal PA (T1) was positively associated with preschoolers' PB (T3) (β=0.220, p<0.001). PR (T2) and SC (T2) independently and sequentially mediated the relationship between maternal PA (T1) and preschoolers' PB (T3). Maternal PA (T1) was negatively associated with preschoolers' PR (T2) only in boys (β =-0.155, p<0.001), not in girls (β =-0.030, p>0.05).

Conclusion

This study reveals the impact and underlying mechanisms of maternal PA on preschoolers' PB and highlights gender differences. These findings underscore the importance of protective factors in fostering positive adaptive behaviors in children subjected to maternal PA. Interventions should focus on preventing maternal PA and enhancing children's PR and SC, particularly in boys, to promote healthy and positive behaviors.

The mediating role of inhibitory control and the moderating role of family support between anxiety and Internet addiction in Chinese adolescents

OBJECTIVE

While some studies have explored the influencing factors of adolescent internet addiction, the risk factors and protective factors still require further discussion. This study aims to examine the mediating role of inhibitory control between anxiety and internet addiction among Chinese adolescents, as well as the moderating role of family support in the relationship between anxiety and inhibitory control.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted through convenience sampling from February to March 2024 in seven schools across five provinces in China. A total of 1677 participants (697 males and 980 females) with an average age of 15.86 ± 0.74 years were included in the study. Self-reported data on internet addiction, anxiety, inhibitory control, and family support were collected, followed by correlation analysis and moderated mediation model testing.

RESULTS

After controlling for participants' gender and age, the study found that anxiety could significantly predict adolescent internet addiction directly (β = 0.429, p < 0.001). When inhibitory control was introduced as a mediating variable, the predictive effect of anxiety on adolescent internet addiction remained significant (β = 0.317, p < 0.001). Additionally, family support alleviated the relationship between anxiety and adolescents' inhibitory control (β = -0.057, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Anxiety can predict adolescent internet addiction through inhibitory control, while family support can moderate the predictive relationship between anxiety and adolescents' inhibitory control. It is recommended that guardians pay attention to adolescents' negative emotions, provide adequate support, guide emotional regulation, and prevent the occurrence of internet addiction.

The role of social-emotional competencies in interpersonal relationships: a structural equation modeling approach

Social-emotional competencies, a crucial non-academic factor for K-12 students to be competent 21st century citizens, are receiving increasing research attention. Based on the 2,801 self-reports of grades 4-8 students from four schools in China, this study scrutinized the associations between adolescents' five core competencies and their interpersonal relationships. Results indicated that five competencies acted as mediators between parent-child relationships and students' relationships with teachers and peers. In addition to the girls' advantage in five competencies, the results also demonstrated the gender and grade differences in the association. Boys had more indirect links and girls had both direct and indirect associations. There were grade differences in the mediating role of social awareness. The study's findings may advance our understanding of the parental influence on Chinese students' social-emotional competencies and provide a more nuanced picture of the conditions and interplay that foster or hinder students' proficiency in these competencies in schools and families.

Developing the mother-child interaction inventory and uncovering mother-child interaction profiles in Türkiye

BACKGROUND

In this study, we aimed to design a mother-report inventory to comprehensively assess mother-child interaction in the 0-3 age range, focusing on maternal and child interaction behavior and mutual attunement.

METHODS

Our research involved three stages, with 1061 mothers and their 0-3-year-old children: 45 in the pilot study, 498 in exploratory factor analysis and latent profile analysis, and 518 in confirmatory factor analysis.

FINDINGS

The Mother-Child Interaction Inventory emerged as a valid and reliable measurement tool, comprising three distinct scales: 1) Maternal Interaction Behavior Questionnaire with sensitive structuring, hostility, and intrusiveness subscales; 2) Child Interaction Behavior Questionnaire with emotional-behavioral involvement and child characteristics; and 3) Mutual Attunement Questionnaire with reciprocity and problem-solving subscales. Latent profile analysis revealed four mother-child interaction profiles, indicating different characteristics in maternal and child interaction behavior and mutual attunement, categorized as "Excellent interaction quality," "Average interaction quality 1", "Average interaction quality 2," and "Poor interaction quality."

DISCUSSION

The study underscores the significance of maternal and child interaction behavior and mutual attunement in determining the quality of mother-child interaction. The mother-report The Mother-Child Interaction Inventory is a functional measurement tool to evaluate interaction separately and holistically, unveiling mother-child interaction profiles in the Turkish context.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The practical implications of this research are significant for health professionals, educators, and stakeholders working with children and families. The Mother-Child Interaction Inventory provides a valuable tool for assessing interaction dynamics, offering insights that can be directly applied to improve mother-child interaction.

The correlations between parental warmth and children's approaches to learning: a moderated mediation model of self-efficacy and teacher-child closeness

Researchers have increasingly considered approaches to learning (ATL) a key indicator of school readiness. Our study purposed to examine the impacts of parental warmth on children's approaches to learning, and the mediating role of self-efficacy, as well as the moderating role of teacher-child closeness in this relationship. Using a whole-group sampling method, 414 Chinese children aged 5-6 years participated this research together with their parents and teachers. Parents of those children were asked to fill out in person questionnaires on parental warmth, children's approaches to learning, and self-efficacy. Children's teachers completed the questionnaire regarding teacher-child closeness. Results indicated that children with high parental warmth were more likely to get high approaches to learning and their self-efficacy played a partial mediating role in this link. In addition, teacher-child closeness moderated the correlation between parental warmth and children's self-efficacy. Specifically, the association between parental warmth and children's self-efficacy was stronger for children with high teacher-child closeness than those with low teacher-child closeness. The results extend our understanding of how parental warmth affects children's approaches to learning, revealing that strategies that could enhance self-efficacy would be effective in improving children's approaches to learning.

The association between family functioning and problem behaviors among Chinese preschool left-behind children: the chain mediating effect of emotion regulation and psychological resilience

Objective

The family environment has a significant impact on the psychological and behavioral development of children, especially those who are left behind in preschool and experience parent-child separation at a young age. These children face a greater risk of family dysfunction, which can lead to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. While numerous studies have established a connection between family functioning and problem behaviors, few have explored the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship. Our study seeks to address this gap by examining how emotion regulation and psychological resilience mediate the link between family functioning and problem behavior.

Methods

The sample consisted of 940 preschool children (51.5% male, 48.5% female) with a mean age of 5.07 ± 0.80. The main guardians of the children were given the Family Assessment Device, Preschool Children's Emotion Regulation Scale, the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschoolers (2nd edition), and the Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scales to assess their family functioning, emotion regulation, psychological resilience, and problem behavior respectively.

Results

Lower family functioning was associated with more severe problem behaviors in preschool left-behind children, and emotion regulation and psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between family functioning and problem behaviors, respectively. In addition, emotion regulation and psychological resilience were also chain mediators between family functioning and problem behaviors.

Conclusion

The study's findings highlighted the crucial role of emotional regulation and psychological resilience in the correlation between family functioning and problem behaviors. It is recommended that policymakers and educators place a high priority on the cultivation of internal psychological resources, such as emotional regulation and resilience, in preschool-aged children when designing interventions to address problem behaviors.

The Effect of Paternal Co-Parenting on Preschool Children's Problem Behaviors: The Chain-Mediating Role of Maternal Parenting Burnout and Psychological Aggression

Objective

With the social changes, a growing number of women have joined the workforce, leading to a shift in the traditional roles of child-rearing. There has been a growing focus on the significance of fathers' roles in child development, particularly the influence of fathers on children's problematic behaviors, making it an increasingly prominent issue. However, there is limited understanding regarding the potential mechanisms through which fathers may exert influence on children's problem behaviors. To address this gap, this study sought to investigate the link between paternal co-parenting and preschool children's problem behaviors, and the mediating effects of maternal parenting burnout and psychological aggression.

Methods

This study used the Personal Information Form and four scales to administer questionnaires to 1164 mothers of preschool children (Mage = 4.26 ± 0.85) in Guangdong Province, China. The collected data underwent processing and analysis using SPSS 22.0.

Results

Paternal co-parenting demonstrated a significantly positive correlation with problem behaviors among preschool children. The impact of paternal co-parenting on children's problem behaviors was mediated by maternal parenting burnout, maternal psychological aggression, and the combined effect of maternal parenting burnout and psychological aggression.

Conclusion

Maternal parenting burnout and maternal psychological aggression play a sequential mediating role between paternal co-parenting and problem behaviors among preschool children. This study revealed the internal mechanism through which paternal co-parenting influenced problem behaviors exhibited by children. It provides some evidence to support the important role of fathers in child development, and provides a reference for policymakers and educators to develop interventions for children's problem behaviors.

Parenting Styles, Family Characteristics, and Teacher-Reported Behavioral Outcomes in Kindergarten

It is well established that parenting influences child behavior at home, but less is known about the associations between parenting and teacher reports of child behavior at school, an environment more distal from the home context. This study investigated the presence of authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting styles (PS) in a community sample of 321 parents with kindergarteners (M_age = 5.45 years) in the Northwestern United States. This study analyzed (1) which PS were present, (2) if PS was associated with family characteristics, (3) if teacher reported behavior problems in spring of children's kindergarten year varied by PS, and (4) whether associations between PS and child behaviors were moderated by parenting stress. Study hypotheses were that PS would be associated with family characteristics, that teacher reported child behaviors would differ by PS, and that parenting stress would moderate the relationship between PS and behavior problems at school. Results indicated all PS were present. Chi-squares and ANOVA's identified that PS were significantly associated with parenting stress and child problem behaviors. ANOVAs determined differences in parenting stress and problem behaviors depending on PS. ANOVAs revealed parenting stress moderated the relation between PS and child problem behavior. Few studies to date have analyzed the presence of all four PS among kindergarteners and the relationship this has with teacher-reported classroom behavioral concerns. This study sought to fill this gap as results have implications for targeted parenting prevention interventions to promote children's social and behavioral adjustment during the transition to elementary school.

Relationships between parenting style and sibling conflicts: A meta-analysis

Previous studies have shown that sibling conflicts are detrimental to physical and psychological development, as well as long-term human development. Although many studies have discovered relations between parenting style and sibling conflicts, these findings were contentious and did not provide a universal solution. Therefore, the meta-analysis was used as the method to determine the nature and magnitude of the relationships. There were a total of 14,356 participants in the 16 included studies, from which 55 effect sizes were extracted. According to the overall meta-analysis results, authoritative parenting (r = -0.201) did have the potential to reduce sibling conflicts. Neglectful (r = 0.389), inconsistent (r = 0.364), indulgent (r = 0.293), and authoritarian (r = 0.235) parenting styles were related to sibling conflicts in a positive way. Moreover, the study investigated the effectiveness of several moderator variables, such as children's gender, age, region, outcome measure, and publication year. The research indicates that authoritative parenting is a protective factor of sibling conflicts. Moderator analyses found that gender, age, region, outcome measure, and publication year played moderating roles in the relationships. Finally, research limitations in the current study and expectations for future research, as well as theoretical contributions and implications for parenting practice, were presented.

Systematic review registration

[https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-8-0020/], identifier [INPLASY202280020].