Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Next article
Originalia

Parent-Child Discrepancies in the Assessment of Internalizing/Externalizing Behavior

Associations With Grade, Sex, and Parenting

Published Online:January 23, 2014https://doi.org/10.1026/0049-8637/a000095

Abstract

This study focused on informant discrepancies in reports on internalizing/externalizing child behavior and associations with parenting dimensions. The study was based on two longitudinal samples followed from Grade 2 to 4 and from Grade 4 to 6. Internalizing/externalizing symptoms were assessed yearly by children’s self-reports and parent-proxy reports. Responsiveness and behavioral and psychological control assessed by the children and their parents were included as parenting dimensions. Child reports on symptoms were higher than parent-proxy reports. Regarding internalizing symptoms, the discrepancies decreased with children’s age. Relations to parenting were shown mainly for psychological control. If parents perceive themselves as psychologically controlling, the discrepancies are smaller, while discrepancies are larger when children perceive their parents as psychologically controlling. Psychologically controlling parents may have a strong focus on the behavior of their children, leading to a stronger agreement between child reports and parent-proxy reports. Children, however, may report more problem behavior if they feel themselves to be under close observation by their parents.


Beurteilerdiskrepanzen bei der Erfassung internalisierenden/externalisierenden Verhaltens: Zusammenhänge zu Klassenstufe, Geschlecht und Erziehungsverhalten

Die Studie untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen Beurteilungsdiskrepanzen bei internalisierenden/externalisierenden Verhaltensproblemen im Kindes- und Jugendalter und dem Erziehungsverhalten. Sie basiert auf zwei Längsschnittstichproben, die von der zweiten bis zur vierten bzw. von der vierten bis zur sechsten Klasse befragt wurden. In jährlichen Abständen wurden internalisierende und externalisierende Probleme der Kinder sowohl von den Kindern selbst als auch von ihren Eltern eingeschätzt. Darüber hinaus wurde das Elternverhalten (Responsivität, behaviorale und psychologische Kontrolle) aus der Kinder- und der Elternperspektive erhoben. Es zeigte sich, dass sich in den Selbstberichten der Kinder ein höheres Ausmaß an Verhaltensproblemen widerspiegelt als in den Elternberichten. Bei den internalisierenden Problemen zeigte sich eine Abnahme der Diskrepanzen über das Alter hinweg. Beziehungen zwischen Verhaltensproblemen und dem Erziehungsverhalten ergaben sich vor allem in Bezug auf die psychologische Kontrolle. Wenn die Eltern sich als kontrollierend einschätzen, sind die Diskrepanzen geringer, während sie größer sind, wenn die Kinder ihre Eltern als kontrollierend wahrnehmen. Psychologisch kontrollierende Eltern mögen demnach besondere Aufmerksamkeit auf das Verhalten ihrer Kinder richten mit dem Ergebnis geringerer Beurteilungsdiskrepanzen. Kinder wiederum berichten möglicherweise mehr Problemverhalten, wenn sie sich unter strenger elterlicher Beobachtung erleben.

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991a). Manual for the Youth Self-Report and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991b). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist / 4 – 18 and 1991 Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Achenbach, T. M. , Dumenci, L. , & Rescorla, L. A. (2002). Ten-year comparisons of problems and competencies for national samples of youth: Self, parent, and teacher reports. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 10, 194 – 203. doi:10.1177/10634266020100040101 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Achenbach, T. M. , McConaughy, S. H. , & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implications of crossinformant correlations for situational specificity. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213 – 232. doi:10.1037/0033 – 2909.101.2.213 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Barber, B. K , Olsen, J. E. , & Shagle, S. C (1994). Associations between parental psychological and behavioral control and youth internalized and externalized behaviors. Child Development, 65, 1120 – 1136. doi:10.1111/j.1467 – 8624.1994.tb00807.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monograph, 4(1, Pt. 2), 1 – 103. doi:10.1037/h0030372 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance use. Journal of Early Adolescence, 11, 56 – 95. doi:10.1177/0272431691111004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Berger, L. E , Jodl, K. M , Allen, J. P. , & McElhaney Davidson, B. (2005). When adolescents disagree with others about their symptoms: Differences in attachment organization as an explanation of discrepancies between adolescent-, parent-, and peer-reports of behavior problems. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 509 – 528. doi:10.1017/S0954579405050248 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • De Los Reyes, A. , & Kazdin, A. E (2004). Measuring informant discrepancies in clinical child research. Psychological Assessment, 16, 330 – 334. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • De Los Reyes, A. , & Kazdin, A. E (2005). Informant discrepancies in the assessment of childhood psychopathology: A critical review, theoretical framework, and recommendations for further study. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 483 – 509. doi: 10.1037/0033 – 2909.131.4.483 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • De Los Reyes, A. , Youngstrom, E. A. , Pabón, S. C. , Youngstrom, J. K. , Feeny, N. C. , & Findling, R. L. (2011). Internal consistency and associated characteristics of informant discrepancies in clinic referred youths age 11 to 17 years. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40, 36 – 53. doi:10.1080/15374416.2011.533402 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Duhig, A. M. , Renk, K. , Epstein, M. K. , & Phares, V. (2000). Interparental agreement on internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 7, 435 – 453. doi:10.1093/clipsy.7.4.435 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ebesutani, C. , Bernstein, A. , Martinez, J. I. , Chorpita, B. F. , & Weisz, J. R. (2011). The Youth Self Report: Applicability and validity across younger and older youths. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40, 338 – 346. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gray, M. R. , & Steinberg, L. (1999). Unpacking authoritative parenting: Reassessing a multidimensional construct. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61, 574 – 587. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Grills, A. E. , & Ollendick, T. H. (2003). Multiple informant agreement and the anxiety disorders interview schedule for parents and children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 30 – 40. doi:10.1097/00004583 – 200301000 – 00008 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Klein-Heßling, J. , Lohaus, A. , & Ball, J. (2005). Psychological predictors of health-related behavior in children. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 10, 31 – 43. doi:10.1080/13548500512331315343 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kolko, D. J. , & Kazdin, A. E. (1993). Emotional/behavioral problems in clinic and nonclinic children: Correspondence among child, parent, and teacher reports. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 34, 991 – 1006. doi:10.1111/j.1469 – 7610.1993.tb01103.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lohaus, A. , Elben, C. E. , Ball, J. , & Klein-Heßling, J. (2004). School transition from elementary to secondary school: Changes in psychological adjustment. Educational Psychology, 24, 161 – 173. doi:10.1080/0144341032000160128 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Maccoby, E. , & Martin, J. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), P. H. Mussen (Series Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 1 – 101). New York: Wiley. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Pettit, G. S. , Laird, R. D. , Dodge, K. A. , Bates, J. E. , & Criss, M. M. (2001). Antecedents and behavior-problem outcomes of parental monitoring. Child Development, 72, 583 – 598. doi:10.1111/1467 – 8624.00298 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Reitzle, M. , Winkler-Metzke, C. , & Steinhausen, H. C. (2001). Eltern und Kinder: Der Zürcher Kurzfragebogen zum Erziehungsverhalten (ZKE) [Parents and children: the Zurich Brief Questionnaire for the Assessment of Parental Behaviors]. Diagnostica, 47, 196 – 207. doi:10.1026//0012 – 1924.47.4.196 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Rey, J. M. , Schrader, E. , & Morris-Yates, A. (1992). Parent-child agreement on children’s behaviors reported by the child behaviour checklist (CBCL). Journal of Adolescence, 15, 219 – 230. doi:10.1016/0140 – 1971(92)90026 – 2 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Seiffge-Krenke, I. , & Kollmar, F. (1998). Discrepancies between mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of sons’ and daughters’ problem behavior: A longitudinal analysis of parent-adolescent agreement on internalising and externalising problem behavior. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39, 687 – 697. doi:10.1111/1469 – 7610.00368 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Steinberg, L. , Darling, N. , & Fletcher, A. C. (1995). Authoritative parenting and adolescent adjustment: An ecological journey. In P. Moen, G. H. Elder , & K. Luscher (Eds.), Examining lives in context: Perspectives on the ecology of human development (pp. 423 – 466). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Steinberg, L. , Mounts, N. S. , Lamborn, S. D. , & Dornbusch, S. M. (1991). Authoritative parenting and adolescent adjustment across varied ecological niches. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 1, 19 – 36. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Theunissen, N. C. M. , Vogels, T. G. C. , Koopman, H. M. , Verrips, G. H. W. , Zwinderman, K. A. H. , Verloove-Vanhorick, S. P. , & Wit, J. M. (1998). The proxy problem: Child report versus parent report in health-related quality of life research. Quality of Life Research, 7, 387 – 397. doi:10.1023/A:1008801802877 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Treutler, C. M. , & Epkins, C. C. (2003). Are discrepancies among child, mother, and father reports on children’s behavior related to parents’ psychological symptoms and aspects of parent-child relationships? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 13 – 27. doi:10.1023/A:1021765114434 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Verhulst, F. C. , & van der Ende, J. (1992). Agreement between parents’ reports and adolescents’ self-reports of problem behavior. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 33, 1011 – 1023. doi:10.1111/j.1469 – 7610.1992.tb00922.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vierhaus, M. , & Lohaus, A. (2008). Children and parents as informants of emotional and behavioral problems predicting adolescents’ health risk behavior: A longitudinal cross-informant study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 211 – 224. doi:10.1007/s10964 – 007 – 9193 – 3 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vierhaus, M. , Lohaus, A. , & Ball, J. (2007). Developmental changes in coping: Situational and methodological influences. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 20, 267 – 282. doi:10.1080/10615800701330242 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vierhaus, M. , Lohaus, A. , & Shah, I. (2010). Internalizing behavior during the transition from childhood to adolescence: Separating age from retest effects. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 26, 187 – 193. doi:10.1027/1015 – 5759/a000025. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Waters, E. , Stewart-Brown, S. , & Fitzpatrick, R. (2003). Agreement between adolescent self-report and parent reports of health and well-being: Results of an epidemiological study. Child: Care, Health & Development, 29, 501 – 509. doi:10.1046/j.1365 – 2214.2003.00370.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Youngstrom, E. , Loeber, R. , & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2000). Patterns and correlates of agreement between parent, teacher, and male adolescent ratings of externalizing and internalizing problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 1038 – 1050. doi:10.1037/0022 – 006X.68. 6. 1038 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar