The specificity of maternal parenting behavior and child adjustment difficulties: a study of inner-city African American families.

Full Abstract

The specificity of the association between 2 parenting behaviors (warmth and supervision) and 2 indicators, aggressive behavior and depressive symptoms, of major child outcomes (externalizing problems and internalizing problems) was examined among 196 inner-city African American mothers and their school age children. Given the growing number of African American families affected by HIV/AIDS and demonstrated compromises in parenting associated with maternal infection, the moderating role of maternal HIV/AIDS was also examined. Findings from longitudinal analyses supported the specificity of maternal warmth but not of maternal supervision. Maternal warmth was a stronger predictor of decreases in child aggressive behavior than of decreases in depressive symptoms. In addition, maternal warmth was a stronger predictor of decreases in aggressive behavior than was maternal supervision. Parenting specificity was not moderated by maternal HIV/AIDS. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

Author information

Author/s: Jones, Deborah J (DJ); Forehand, Rex (R); Rakow, Aaron (A); Colletti, Christina J M (CJ); McKee, Laura (L); Zalot, Alecia (A);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, USA. djjones(-atsign-)email.unc.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) (J Fam Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Apr; vol 22 (issue 2) : pp 181-92

Dates: Created 2008/04/15; Completed 2008/07/01;

PMID: 18410205, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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