Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine relations between parents’ contingent responding and the behavior of their young children, in the context of other relevant parenting behaviors. Parents were observed interacting with their 3–6 year-old children during two laboratory tasks. Parent responses to child bids were classified into four mutually exclusive categories: contingent responses, non-contingent non-negative responses, negative responses, and no response. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine relations between contingent responsiveness and child compliance, after accounting for the quality of parent directives and parent negativity. Contingent responsiveness was uniquely associated with greater child compliance for mothers during both tasks and for fathers during one task. An interaction effect was found, indicating that fathers’ responsiveness during the second task was associated with greater child compliance in older, but not younger, children. Implications for clinical practice and future research directions are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Deater-Deckard K, Petrill SA (2004) Parent–child dyadic mutuality and child behavior problems: an investigation of gene-environment processes. J Child Psychol Psychiatr 45:1171–1179
Johnston C, Murray C, Hinshaw SP, Pelham WE, Hoza B (2002) Responsiveness in interactions of mothers and sons with ADHD: relations to maternal and child characteristics. J Abnorm Child Psychol 30:77–88
Rothbaum F, Weisz JR (1994) Parental caregiving and child externalizing behavior in nonclinical samples: a meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 116:55–74
Davidov M, Grusec JE (2006) Multiple pathways to compliance: mothers’ willingness to cooperate and knowledge of their children’s reactions to discipline. J Fam Psychol 20:705–708
Landry SH, Smith KE, Swank PR (2006) Responsive parenting: establishing early foundations for social, communication, and independent problem-solving skills. Dev Psychol 42:627–642
Parpal M, Maccoby EE (1985) Maternal responsiveness and subsequent child compliance. Child Dev 56:1326–1334
Rocissano L, Slade A, Lynch V (1987) Dyadic synchrony and toddler compliance. Dev Psychol 23:698–704
Ainsworth MDS, Bell SM, Stayton DJ (1974) Infant–mother attachment and social development: “socialization” as a product of reciprocal responsiveness signals. In: Richards MPM (ed) The integration of a child into a social world. Cambridge University Press, London, pp 99–135
Bornstein MH, Tamis-Lamonda CS, Hahn C, Haynes OM (2008) Maternal responsiveness to young children at three ages: longitudinal analysis of a multidimensional, modular, and specific parenting construct. Dev Psychol 44:867–874
Patterson GR (1982) Coercive family process. Castalia, Eugene, OR
Vigilante VA, Wahler RG (2005) Covariations between mothers’ responsiveness and their use of “do” and “don’t” instructions: implications for child behavior therapy. Behav Ther 36:207–212
Criss MM, Pettit GS, Bates JE, Dodge KA, Lapp AL (2002) Family adversity, positive peer relationships, and children’s externalizing behavior: a longitudinal perspective on risk and resilience. Child Dev 73:1220–1237
Miller-Lewis LR, Baghurst PA, Sawyer MG, Prior MR, Clark JJ, Arney FM et al (2006) Early childhood externalizing behavior problems: child, parenting, and family-related predictors over time. J Abnorm Child Psychol 34:891–906
Miner JL, Clarke-Stewart KA (2008) Trajectories of externalizing behavior from age 2 to age 9: relations with gender, temperament, ethnicity, parenting, and rater. Dev Psychol 44:771–786
Smith CL, Calkins SD, Keane SP, Anastopoulos AD, Shelton TL (2004) Predicting stability and change in toddler behavior problems: contributions of maternal behavior and child gender. Dev Psychol 40:29–42
Vizziello GMF, Ferrero C, Musicco M (2000) Parent–child synchrony of interaction. In: Crittenden PM, Claussen AH (eds) The organization of attachment relationships: maturation, culture, and context. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 38–60
Seipp CM, Johnston C (2005) Mother-son interactions in families of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with and without oppositional behavior. J Abnorm Child Psychol 33:87–98
Roberts MW, McMahon RJ, Forehand R, Humphreys L (1978) The effect of parental instruction-giving on child compliance. Behav Ther 9:793–798
Mandal RL, Olmi DJ, Edwards RP, Tingstrom DH, Benoit DA (2000) Effective instruction delivery and time-in: positive procedures for achieving child compliance. Child Fam Behav Ther 22:1–12
Rickert VI, Sottolano DC, Parrish JM, Riley AW, Hunt FM, Pelco LE (1988) Training parents to become better behavior managers: the need for a competency-based approach. Behav Modif 12:475–496
Aksan N, Kochanska G, Ortmann MR (2006) Mutually responsive orientation between parents and their young children: toward methodological advances in the science of relationships. Dev Psychol 42:833–848
Kochanska G, Aksan N, Prisco TR, Adams EE (2008) Mother–child and father–child mutually responsive orientation in the first 2 years and children’s outcomes at preschool age: mechanisms of influence. Child Dev 79:30–44
Deater-Deckard K, Atzaba-Poria N, Pike A (2004) Mother- and father–child mutuality in Anglo and Indian British families: a link with lower externalizing problems. J Abnorm Child Psychol 32:609–620
Kochanska G, Aksan N (2004) Development of mutual responsiveness between parents and their young children. Child Dev 75:1657–1676
Garcia-Sellers MJ, Church K (2000) Avoidance, frustration, and hostility during toddlers’ interaction with their mothers and fathers. Infant Toddler Interv 10:259–274
Ryan RM, Martin A, Brooks-Gunn J (2006) Is one good parent good enough? Patterns of mother and father parenting and child cognitive outcomes at 24 and 36 months. Parent Sci Pract 6:211–228
Prinz RJ, Cuthbert J, Lambrinos JO (2005) The parenting observational code. Technical manual, USC Parenting & Family Research Center
Cohen J, Cohen P, West SG, Aiken LS (2003) Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences, 3rd edn. Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ
Ainsworth MDS (1979) Infant-mother attachment. Am Psychol 34:932–937
Crittenden PM (1988) Relationships at risk. In: Belsky J, Nezworski T (eds) Clinical implications of attachment. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, pp 136–174
Ainsworth MDS, Blehar M, Waters E, Wall S (1978) Patterns of attachment: a psychological study of the Strange Situation. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ
Maccoby, EE, Martin JA (1983) Socialization in the context of the family: parent-child interaction. In: Hetherington EM (ed), Mussen PH (series ed) Handbook of child psychology: volume 4. Socialization, personality, and social development. Wiley, New York, pp 1–101
Acknowledgments
This research was supported in part by grant #1R01HD042621 to Ronald Prinz from the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schueler, C.M., Prinz, R.J. The Role of Caregiver Contingent Responsiveness in Promoting Compliance in Young Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 44, 370–381 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0331-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0331-0