Elsevier

Developmental Review

Volume 22, Issue 4, December 2002, Pages 623-643
Developmental Review

Does child temperament moderate the influence of parenting on adjustment?

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-2297(02)00503-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Parental socialization and child temperament are modestly associated with child adjustment outcomes. Main-effects models have yielded valuable information, but fail to explicate mechanisms via which child adjustment occurs. A conditional model of influence is suggested, in which parenting effects on child adjustment are moderated by child temperament characteristics. Theoretical support for such a model is outlined, integrating bioecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998) and a corollary differential susceptibility hypothesis (Belsky, 1997). Empirical work compatible with the moderated model is reviewed, and research that more fully integrates the theoretical model and allows direct testing of the propositions is presented.

Section snippets

Adjustment in childhood

Adjustment in childhood refers to the characteristics of the child’s social functioning within constraints of the environment (Rothbart & Bates, 1998). Positive adjustment is reflected in general positive emotion, compliant and self-regulated behavior, and harmonious interpersonal interactions (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998). Negative adjustment outcomes are reflected in the converse: negative emotion, disruptive behavior and conflicted social relationships. What manifests as adjustment in

A conditional model

There has been little theoretical delineation of the synergistic processes of parenting and temperament, though interactions are often assumed to reflect the bi-directional and reciprocal interchanges between the organism and environment over time (Hershberger, 1994; Magnusson & Stattin, 1998; Thomas, 1984; Wachs & Plomin, 1991). Thomas and Chess hypothesized that temperament conveyed its influence in interaction with the demands of the environment, including parenting. Positive adjustment was

Empirical work employing a conditional model

There is a small body of literature exploring the interactive effects of parenting and child temperament as related to adjustment, possibly due to difficulty in obtaining and interpreting significant interaction terms (Sanson & Rothbart, 1995). The literature reviewed spans the developmental periods of childhood, with child adjustment manifested differently at each developmental stage: attachment security in infancy, prosocial and antisocial skills in early childhood, and aggression and

Conclusions: A conditional model of parenting influence

Despite contentions to the contrary (see Harris, 1995), there is evidence that parenting bears considerable import for children’s adjustment (Collins et al., 2000; Vandell, 2000), and emerging research suggests that parental socialization plays a distinct role for children of different temperaments. One of the primary goals of this review was to identify an appropriate theoretical foundation for this emergent line of research. Several considerations provide guidance for ongoing research.

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    An earlier version of this paper was presented as part of preliminary examination requirements for completion of studies in the Ph.D. program in Human Development. I am most grateful to Deborah Lowe Vandell, Leonard Abbeduto, and B. Bradford Brown for their generous comments and assistance.

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