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Contributions of Observed Coparenting and Infant Temperament to Child Social-Emotional Adjustment

Altenburger, Lauren E
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406176919

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Human Ecology: Human Development and Family Science.
Early childhood is a critical period of rapid development, in which stable social and emotional skills are formed. Infant temperament is a strong predictor of later behavioral adjustment and maladjustment. Coparenting also plays a role in toddler adjustment. The present study sought to understand the interactive effects of coparenting and infant temperament in impacting subsequent child behavioral adjustment. Data come from a longitudinal study of 182 U.S. dual-earner primiparous couples and their infant children. At the 9-month assessment, mothers independently completed the 37-item Revised Infant Behavior Questionnaire—Very Short Form to assess their child’s temperament. Undermining and supportive coparenting was assessed from mother-father-infant interaction observations and self-reports of coparenting behavior by both parents at 9-months postpartum. At approximately 2 years postpartum mothers completed the ITSEA, a clinical assessment tool designed to identify competencies and areas of concern in toddlers’ social-emotional development. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed support for the differential susceptibility hypothesis, which proposes that infants high in negative affectivity are more susceptibility to rearing influences. Specifically, difficult infants had lower levels of dysregulation when embedded in an observed supportive coparenting context, compared to infants with an easier temperament. In support of a dual gain perspective, infants with high levels of effortful control, when exposed to observed supportive coparenting behavior had the lowest levels of dysregulation. A final significant interaction revealed that infants with low negative affectivity, when embedded in an environment with high reported undermining, had high levels of externalizing behavior. Thus, research examining child social-emotional adjustment and maladjustment should continue to integrate family and child factors.
Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan (Advisor)
Jen Wong (Committee Member)
84 p.
Developmental Psychology; Psychology
temperament, coparenting, social-emotional adjustment

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Altenburger, L. E. (2014). Contributions of Observed Coparenting and Infant Temperament to Child Social-Emotional Adjustment [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406176919

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Altenburger, Lauren. Contributions of Observed Coparenting and Infant Temperament to Child Social-Emotional Adjustment. 2014. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406176919.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Altenburger, Lauren. "Contributions of Observed Coparenting and Infant Temperament to Child Social-Emotional Adjustment." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406176919

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1406176919
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© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12