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Toddler Temperament, Parent Stress, and Autonomy Support

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Abstract

The present study examined how toddler temperament (negative affectivity, effortful control, and surgency) and parent stress relate to parents’ use of autonomy support (AS) when making requests. Based on past studies pointing to parent stress and toddler difficult temperament as possible risk factors, we proposed a mediation model where toddler temperament was expected to be related indirectly to parents’ use of autonomy-supportive practices via parent stress. Parents (N = 181) reported how often they used autonomy-supportive practices when asking their toddlers (Mage = 27.7 months) to engage in important, yet uninteresting activities. They also answered questions regarding their toddler’s temperament and their own stress levels. A complete mediation hypothesis was supported for negative affectivity but not for the other temperament dimensions. Both toddler negative affectivity and effortful control were indirectly related to parents’ AS, via parent stress. However, effortful control was also directly associated with parent AS over and above parent stress, while surgency was not related to parent stress or parent AS. The present findings underline the need for more research on how to mitigate the impact of difficult temperamental characteristics so as to preserve parents’ support for their toddlers’ need for autonomy.

Highlights

  • Parents’ socialization role is key during toddlerhood but it can be challenging.

  • Toddler temperament may affect parental stress, known to hinder parenting quality.

  • Parents rated how much they use autonomy-supportive practices when making requests.

  • Toddler negative affectivity was linked to less autonomy support, via parent stress.

  • Toddler effortful control was linked to more autonomy support (directly/indirectly).

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Author Contributions

E.A. co-designed the study, collected the data, conducted measurement analyses, and drafted the manuscript. J.C.L. conducted data analyses, collaborated in the interpretation of findings, and collaborated in the writing and editing of the original and final manuscript. M.J. co-designed the study, participated in the interpretation of findings, helped to draft the manuscript, and collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript. G.A.M. assisted with data analyses, collaborated in the interpretation of findings, and helped writing and editing the final manuscript.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada

    Eftichia Andreadakis, Julie C. Laurin, Mireille Joussemet & Geneviève A. Mageau

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  1. Eftichia Andreadakis
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  2. Julie C. Laurin
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Correspondence to Mireille Joussemet.

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Andreadakis, E., Laurin, J.C., Joussemet, M. et al. Toddler Temperament, Parent Stress, and Autonomy Support. J Child Fam Stud 29, 3029–3043 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01793-3

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