title: Child Temperament, Maternal Parenting Behavior, and Child Social Functioning.
abstract: We examined child temperament, maternal parenting, and the effects of their interactions with each other on child social functioning. A total of 355 children aged 5-18 years old (54% male; mean age=10.8) were evaluated. Regression equations were used to test models of the main and interactive effects of temperament and maternal parenting behavior on the Social Problems and Social Competence Subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a questionnaire assessing internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in children ages 4 to 18. Higher levels of child Novelty Seeking and Harm Avoidance and lower levels of Persistence were significantly associated with poorer social functioning. When accounting for child temperament, neither maternal parenting nor the interaction between maternal parenting and child temperament were significantly associated with social functioning. However, the interaction between maternal positive involvement and harm avoidance trended toward significance, such that at higher levels of harm avoidance, more extreme levels of maternal positive involvement were related to lower levels of social functioning. Further research on the interplay between child temperament and parenting across different stages of development is warranted.
authors.affiliation: The Stern Center for Language and Learning, Williston, VT 05495.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schreck
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Althoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rettew
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: Valerie S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.affiliation: RAND corporation, Washington, DC 22202.
authors.forename: Lynsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Albaugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: Eileen T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Crehan
authors.affiliation: New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, NM 87108.
authors.forename: Ana V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kuny-Slock
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hudziak
keywords: Child Behavior Checklist; development; parenting; social functioning; temperament