A transactional model of the influence of a congenital risk variable for children on families varying in healthy functioning and of the influence of families on children will be tested. Through testing the model, the relative importance of congenital, parent-child, marital, parental, and whole family characteristics for behavior problems in children and family coping will be assessed. Through the model, we will assess when socialization is family-driven (family coping remains high, independent of children who vary in risk for congenitally related difficulties) from socialization that is child-driven (families with congenitally easy children cope less well.) The need for research on behavior problems in children that encompasses more than one causal mechanism has been recognized increasingly and emphasized in recent reviews. By identifying the relative importance of congenital parent-child relationship, marital, parental and whole family characteristics to behavior problems in children, appropriate foci for intervention (either as prevention or treatment) can be identified. There is also a need for information on families with preschool children from nonclinical populations. The majority of child behavior problems are not brought to the attention of professionals until the child is enrolled in school. Much of the research on the effects of the whole family has come from clinical studies of school-age children or adolescents. No research on marital and family effects on child behavior has focused specifically on young children. Because of rapid developmental changes during the preschool years, this would seem an appropriate focus for a study of the reciprocal impact of various aspects of the family context and child behavior. The importance of early intervention also suggests the need to study this age group. While clinical studies are important, it is also vital to obtain information on a wide range of families in order to put clinical studies in an appropriate context. Research participants will be 160 families recruited through radio announcements and newspaper advertisements. Families will be observed and will fill out questionnaires on family coping health, and childrearing on two occasions a year apart. Multivariate analyses will examine the joint interaction of child congenital characteristics and family measures in predicting child behavior problems over one year.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH039899-02
Application #
3377693
Study Section
(LCRA)
Project Start
1985-01-01
Project End
1986-12-31
Budget Start
1986-01-01
Budget End
1986-12-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Georgia
Department
Type
Sch of Home Econ/Human Ecology
DUNS #
City
Athens
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30602
Deal, James E (2018) Normativity and Desirability in Observational Assessments of Family Interaction. Fam Process :
Halverson, Charles F; Havill, Valerie L; Deal, James et al. (2003) Personality structure as derived from parental ratings of free descriptions of children: the inventory of child individual differences. J Pers 71:995-1026
Deal, J E (1996) Marital conflict and differential treatment of siblings. Fam Process 35:333-46
Deal, J E; Wampler, K S; Halverson Jr, C F (1992) The importance of similarity in the marital relationship. Fam Process 31:369-82
Wampler, K S; Halverson Jr, C F; Moore, J J et al. (1989) The Georgia family Q-sort: an observational measure of family functioning. Fam Process 28:223-38
Deal, J E; Halverson Jr, C F; Wampler, K S (1989) Parental agreement on child-rearing orientations: relations to parental, marital, family, and child characteristics. Child Dev 60:1025-34
Victor, J B; Halverson Jr, C F; Wampler, K S (1988) Family-School context: parent and teacher agreement on child temperament. J Consult Clin Psychol 56:573-7