Publication year
2013
Citation Title
Transactions between child social wariness and observed structured parenting: Evidence from a prospective adoption study.
Journal Name
Child Development
Journal Volume
84
Issue Number
5
Page Numbers
1750-1765
DOI
10.1111/cdev.12070
Summary
Several studies have linked childhood anxiety symptoms to parenting behaviors; however, the mechanisms of this association are not well characterized and may be due to socialization, shared genes, or a combination of both. Using an adoption design, this study sought to elucidate the relationship between mother and father structured parenting (e.g., verbal commands to do something) and child social wariness (e.g., shyness). Results indicate that mother and father structured parenting influenced children's child social wariness differently.
Key Findings
Child social wariness at 18 months of age was related to reduced structured parenting at 27 months. Fathers’ (but not mothers’) lower structured parenting was related to increased social wariness in children at 27 months.
There was no association between birth mother anxiety-related disorders and child social wariness, which suggests genetic influences on social wariness was low.
These results suggest a reciprocal influence between structured parenting and social wariness in children; social wariness elicited less paternal structured parenting and less paternal structured parenting led to greater social wariness.
Implications for Military Professionals
Facilitate support groups for military fathers struggling with structured parenting
Attend trainings on fostering structured parenting to enhance their ability to provide support to military parents
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer special event to increase father participation such as “Bring Your Father Day”
Include components that focus on parenting by fathers, such as potential consequences of low structured parenting for shy children
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend a balanced gender composition among program service providers
Support additional inquiry into the reciprocal influence between structured parenting and social wariness in military children
Methods
In this study, data were collected on adoptive mothers and fathers, the adopted child, and the child’s birth mother using computer assisted interviews.
Parenting data were collected using a three minute lab-based clean-up task where parents and children were observed picking up toys in a room.
This study reflects a quantitative two group longitudinal design; data were collected when children were 17 months and again at 28 months.
Participants
Study participants (N = 361) were recruited from 10 adoption agencies throughout the northwest, mid-Atlantic, and southwest United States.
Among children included in this study, 43% were female, 58% were White, 21% of mixed race, 11% Black, and 11% unknown ethnicity.
The average age of adoptive mothers, fathers, and birth mothers was 38, 38, and 24 years, respectively; the majority of adoptive parents (90%) and birth mothers (71%) were White.
Limitations
Genetic influences was determined using lifetime history diagnosis and was biased towards older mothers.
Because the task was lab-based, the toy clean-up observation may not reflect parents’ typical parenting style with their children at home or in other settings.
Although data were collected on birth fathers, the small sample size did not permit analysis of these data.
Avenues for Future Research
Continue to explore the unique socializing role for fathers of socially wary children
Examine the influence of paternal deployment on military children's social wariness
Investigate strategies to promote greater father participation in military parenting programming
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
This investigation examined the mutual influences between structured parenting and child social wariness during toddlerhood using a longitudinal adoption design. The sample consisted of 361 adoption-linked families, each including an adopted child, adoptive parents, and a birth mother. Heightened social wariness in children at age 18 months predicted reduced levels of observed structured parenting (i.e., less directive parenting with fewer commands and requests) in adoptive mothers at age 27 months. Adoptive fathers' lower structured parenting at age 18 months predicted subsequent elevation in child social wariness. Birth mothers' history of fear-related anxiety disorders was not associated with child social wariness. Findings highlight the role of dynamic family transactions in the development of social wariness during toddlerhood.
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