Reciprocal influences between parents' perceptions of mother-child and father-child relationships: a short-term longitudinal study in Chinese preschoolers

Mediating Effect of the Parent-Child Relationship on the Association Between Maternal Nurturance and Early Child Development: A Longitudinal Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Research on the specific pathways from maternal nurturance to early child development remains limited. Grounded in transactional theory, this study is the first to examine these pathways through the parent-child relationship.

Methods

This longitudinal study involved mothers of children aged 1-3 years. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire, and Child-Parent Relationship Scale were collected at Time 1, when children were 1 year old. At Time 2, when children were 3 years old, Caregiver-Reported Early Development Instruments were measured. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore direct and indirect pathways from maternal nurturance to early child development.

Results

A total of 1145 mother-child dyads participated, with children averaging 32 months (SD = 6.4) and mothers averaging 28.7 years (SD = 4.0). Maternal nurturance had significant direct (β = 0.271), indirect (β = 0.065), and total (β = 0.336) effects on early child development. Direct effects accounted for 80.7% of the total effects, while indirect effects accounted for 19.3%. Maternal nurturance indirectly predicted higher early child development through increased parent-child closeness (β = 0.048), explaining 14.3% of the total effects. Maternal nurturance indirectly promoted early child development through reduced parent-child conflict (β = 0.017), explaining 5.1% of the total effects.

Conclusion

The novelty of this study lies in its demonstration of the mediating role of the parent-child relationship in the effect of maternal nurturance on early child development. This longitudinal study provides insights for governments agencies, policymakers, and healthcare workers to develop intervention programs that enhance maternal nurturance through the parent-child relationship to promote early child development.

[Relationship between home literacy environment and emotional regulation in children: the mediating effect of the parent-child relationship]

OBJECTIVES

To study the impact of the home literacy environment on children's emotional regulation skills and the mediating role of the parent-child relationship between them.

METHODS

A stratified cluster sampling approach was employed to select 1 626 preschool children from five kindergartens in Nanjing. Questionnaires were used to collect detailed information on the home literacy environment, children's emotional regulation skills, and the parent-child relationship. A mediation model was established using the Process program in SPSS macro, and the significance of the mediation effect was tested using the Bootstrap method.

RESULTS

The findings revealed a positive correlation between the home literacy environment and children's emotional regulation skills (r=0.217, P<0.001), as well as parent-child intimacy (r=0.065, P<0.01). Conversely, a negative correlation was found between the home literacy environment and parent-child conflict (r=-0.129, P<0.001). Additionally, parent-child conflict demonstrated a negative correlation with children's emotional regulation skills (r=-0.443, P<0.001), while parent-child intimacy exhibited a positive correlation (r=0.247, P<0.001). The home literacy environment exerted a significant direct effect on children's emotional regulation skills (β=0.162, P<0.001), and the mediating effect of the parent-child relationship accounted for 25.54% of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The home literacy environment significantly influences children's emotional regulation skills, with the parent-child relationship partially mediating this relationship.

The representation of child-parent relation: validation of the Italian version of the child-parent relationship scale (CPRS-I)

This study proposes a psychometric validation of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) developed by Pianta in 1992. Based on attachment theory, the scale assesses parents' relationship perceptions with their own child and comprises three scales: Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency. A sample of 501 parents (188 fathers and 313 mothers) completed 30 items of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS-I) online, but only 437 answered 85% of the entire protocol; hence, the analyses only focused on 437 participants. The first analysis of the original theoretical model revealed poor fit, item loadings, and internal consistency. Therefore, a follow-up analysis was conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses with a split sample (EFA = 218; CFA = 219) confirmed the original three-factor structure of the Italian sample, although some items were eliminated. The validity and reliability of the Italian version of the CPRS-I were also verified by correlating the above three factors with measures of adult attachment styles and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The CPRS-I showed significant correlations with all tested constructs, in line with those found by Driscoll and Pianta for the short form of the scale. Our results confirm that the CPRS-I has the same structure as the original scale; therefore, it can be a useful tool for assessing parents' perceptions of their relationship with their children. The implications for educational and clinical settings are also discussed.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms and Multi-level Family Factors in Chinese Migrant Children: A Network Perspective

Based on the network theory of mental disorders, this study used network analysis to examine the network of ODD symptoms and multilevel family factors and identify the most crucial family factors influencing ODD symptoms in children. A total of 718 Chinese migrant children aged 7-14 years participated in this study. This study measured ODD symptoms, family system-level variables (3 factors), family dyadic-level variables (6 factors), and family individual-level variables (6 factors) with factors selected based on the multilevel family factors theory of ODD symptoms. The results indicated that (1) "annoy" was the center symptom of ODD, (2) "annoy" and "vindictive" was the main bridge connecting the multilevel family factors, and (3) family cohesion at the family system level, parent-child conflict at the family dyadic level, and parental depression at the family individual level were critical central and bridging influencing factors. The findings of this study highlight the critical role of "annoy" and "vindictive" symptoms in the activation of ODD symptom networks in children and provide a basis for future improvements in diagnostic criteria. These potential core and bridge factors might become key intervention targets for childhood ODD.

Association of Parental Screen Addiction with Young Children's Screen Addiction: A Chain-Mediating Model

Preschool children are immersed in screen media, yet little study has been conducted on screen addiction among them. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental screen addiction and young children's screen addiction and to verify factors that mediate this relationship. A total of 477 parents of kindergarteners (3-6 years old) were recruited via six kindergartens in Henan province, China. They completed the Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form of Children, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Child-Parent Relationship Scale, and the Parental Screen Addiction Scale. The results showed that the relationships between each pair of parental screen addiction, parental anxiety, and children's screen addiction were significantly positive, but the parent-child relationship was negatively correlated with the other variables. Parental screen addiction can directly and indirectly affect children's screen addiction through parental anxiety and the parent-child relationship. The findings contribute to the development of family protection mechanisms against screen addiction in children.

Exploring family educational involvement and social skills in Chinese preschoolers: The moderating role of parent-child relationship

The purpose of this study was to examine parent-child relationship as a moderator of the association between family educational involvement and the social skills of preschoolers. A total of 4,938 children (M = 5.09-years-old, SD = 0.81) were sampled from 18 preschools in Hebei province, China, and their parents completed a survey packet to collect demographic information, as well as ratings of parental involvement, relationships with their children, and child social skill development. The results of multivariate regression analysis suggested that: (1) both home-based involvement and home-school conferencing could significantly predict preschoolers' social skills, (2) there was stronger evidence for a relationship of home-based involvement and preschoolers' social skills, (3) closeness in parent-child relationship moderated the path from home-based involvement to preschoolers' social skills, and (4) there was no interactive effect between family educational involvement and parent-child conflict. These findings highlight the significance of the joint influences of family educational involvement and parent-child relationship in shaping children's social skills. The impact of home-based involvement was boosted in the context of a close parent-child relationship.

How parental smartphone addiction affects adolescent smartphone addiction: The effect of the parent-child relationship and parental bonding

BACKGROUND

Adolescent smartphone addiction (ASA) has fueled concerns worldwide regarding the negative health effects. This study aimed to examine whether parental smartphone addiction (PSA) affected ASA, and evaluated the mediating role of the parent-child relationship and the moderating role of parental bonding in the effect from PSA to ASA, among a Chinese sample of parent-child pairs.

METHODS

A large-scale cross-sectional survey was conducted among 10- to 15-year-old students and their parents. ASA and PSA were assessed by Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI). The parent-child relationship was evaluated by Child-Parent Relationship Scale-Short Form (CPRS-SF), and parental bonding was estimated by Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Conditional process model was used to examine the relationship between PSA and ASA, as well as the mediating effect of parent-child relationship and the moderating effect of parental bonding.

RESULTS

A total of 9515 adolescents and their parents completed the online survey. PSA significantly positively predicted ASA (B = 0.488, p < 0.001). The parent-child relationship negatively mediated the association from PSA to ASA (B = -0.321, p < 0.001). Parental overprotection moderated the indirect path from PSA to ASA through the parent-child relationship (B = -0.016, p < 0.001), but parental care had not any moderation (B = -0.005, p > 0.05). Specifically, parental overprotection had a positive moderating effect on the second half mediation path. The indirect effect of PSA on ASA through parent-child relationship was greater in higher overprotection than in lower.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional study of self-administrated questionnaires.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents had a higher tendency toward smartphone addiction when their parents excessively used smartphones. The findings highlighted the essential role of parent-child relationship and parental bonding in the association from PSA to ASA.

Preschool Children's Social Information Processing Mediates the Link between the Quality of the Parent-Child Relationship and the Child's Learning Difficulties

(1) Background: This study aims to explore children's social information processing (SIP) as an explanatory mechanism in the link between parent-child relationship and children's learning difficulties in kindergarten; (2) Methods: The sample included 115 kindergarteners (62 girls; 53 boys; Mage = 68.5 months, SD = 6.04), their parents and the school teacher. Parents reported on relationship quality with the child and teachers reported on children's learning difficulties and school achievements. Children's SIP was assessed with the social information processing interview-preschool version (3) Results: Mother and father relationship quality with the child associated with children's SIP; however, only the father's but not the mother's quality of relationship with the child was associated with children's learning difficulties and school achievements. Children's SIP mediated this latter link; (4) Conclusions: Parents' relationship quality with the child and children's SIP are pertinent factors in children's learning in the early years. The father-child relationship seems to be a strong determinant of a child's approach to learning and achievement and may have long lasting effects on children's mental health.

Brief Report: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of RECALL (Reading to Engage Children with Autism in Language and Learning) for Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study investigated the effects of a parent-implemented dialogic reading approach-Reading to Engage Children with Autism in Language and Learning (RECALL)-on the engagement in reading and inference-making ability for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thirty-one preschoolers (mean age = 5.90 years, SD = 0.69; 26 boys, 5 girls) were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. Six weeks of RECALL significantly enhanced story comprehension, emotion knowledge, and reading engagement among preschoolers in the treatment group. This might be the first randomized controlled trial testing the effects of RECALL on children with ASD. Our findings suggest that additional instructional support such as the application of a prompting hierarchy during dialogic reading might help children with ASD reap greater benefits from shared book reading.

Actor-Partner Interdependence of Compassion toward Others with Qualities of Marital Relationship and Parent-Child Relationships in Chinese Families

Considering the nature of compassion and cultural and times characteristics of Chinese families, individuals' general dispositional compassion toward others may have potential benefits for relationship qualities in Chinese families. In this study, we explored how men's and women's compassion related to their own (actor effects) and the partners' (partner effects) marital relationship and parent-child relationships, respectively, using the Actor-Partner Interdependent Model. Participants were from a cross-sectional sample of 534 Chinese heterosexual married couples (females' mean age = 37.20, SD = 4.28; males' mean age = 40.29, SD = 5.39) whose biological children were pupils (mean age = 9.28, SD = 1.11). Results revealed that: (a) within marital relationships, couple members' actor effects and partner effects were found both significant; but (b) within parent-child relationships, couple members' actor effects were significant, whereas only mothers' partner effect of compassion on father-child relationship was significant. These findings support the benefits of couple members' individual compassion with respect to family relationship quality in contemporary China. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.

Intergenerational transmission of interpersonal strengths: The role of parent gender, family processes, and child characteristics

Interpersonal strengths are important positive traits of human beings. This study investigated the phenomenon and mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of interpersonal strengths. A total of 992 fourth-to ninth-grade children (48.1% boys, M_age = 12.63) and both mothers and fathers in China were involved in the present study. The results showed that fathers' (but not mothers') interpersonal strengths were directly associated with children's interpersonal strengths. Different transmission mechanisms of mothers and fathers were found: mother-child relationships and fathers' parenting styles explained the association between parents' and children's interpersonal strengths and between marital relationships and children's interpersonal strengths. Consistent transmission effects and mechanisms were found across child grade, gender, and sibling status. The findings of the current study provide evidence of intergenerational correlations for both parents regarding interpersonal strengths. Parents (especially fathers) with interpersonal strengths can raise children with corresponding strengths through particular family processes regardless of child characteristics.

The effects of parental education and family income on mother-child relationships, father-child relationships, and family environments in the People's Republic of China

Using a cross-sectional design with 407 Chinese children aged 3-5 years and their parents, this study examined the effects of socioeconomic status, specifically parents' education and family income, on the children's mother-child relationships, father-child relationships, and the social environment in their families. The results indicated that income negatively predicted conflict in father-child relationships and positively predicted family active-recreational environments. Income also positively predicted family cohesion among girls but not boys. Maternal education negatively predicted conflict in mother-child relationships and positively predicted closeness in mother-child and father-child relationships, family cohesion, and the intellectual-cultural and active-recreational environments in the family. Paternal education positively predicted family cohesion and intellectual-cultural and active-recreational environments. Income was found to partially mediate the effects of both maternal and paternal education on family active-recreational environments. Findings are discussed in the frameworks of the family stress model and the family investment model.

The reciprocal relations between teachers' perceptions of children's behavior problems and teacher-child relationships in the first preschool year

To examine the reciprocal relations between teacher-child relationships and children's behavior problems, the authors analyzed cross-lagged longitudinal data on teacher-child relationships and children's internalizing and externalizing problems using a structural equation modeling approach. The homeroom teachers of 105 first-year preschoolers aged 2-3 years filled in the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale and the Child Behavior Checklist/2-3, first at 3 months after the children's preschool entrance and then at the end of the first preschool year. Results showed significant cross-wave reciprocal relations between externalizing problems and teacher-child conflict and significant cross-wave relation from early internalizing problems to later teacher-child conflict. However, the cross-wave associations between internalizing and externalizing problems and teacher-child closeness were not significant.