This study investigated the etiology of preschoolers’ somatic symptoms and internalizing problems, using a twin sample. A specific focus was placed on the genetic (i.e., DRD4 and 5-HTTLPR) and environmental (i.e., SES, household chaos, family conflict, and maternal emotional stability) factors that were hypothesized to be associated with these problems. This project also explored the possible gene-environmental interactions (GxE) that may exist among these contributors. It was hypothesized that children who are at greatest risk due to their genotype, environment, or a combination of the two would display elevated somatic symptoms and internalizing problems, compared to children who were less at-risk due to these factors. Data from 252 families included in the Southern Illinois Twins/Triplets and Siblings Study (SITSS) at age 5 were examined. Results indicated a significant DRD4 x household chaos interaction predicting preschoolers’ somatic symptoms, demonstrating that children with the DRD4-7r genotype exhibited less somaticizing in highly chaotic homes. Additionally, 5-year-old internalizing problems were significantly predicted by the cumulative environmental risk factor created (i.e., top 15% of scores for each environmental variable in the current sample) and marginally by the additive genotypic risk factor (i.e., a summation of the DRD4 and 5-HTTLPR “risk” scores). These results provide additional insight into the factors that may place children at greater risk for somatic symptoms and internalizing problems.

This study used a twin and triplet sample to investigate the influence of preschoolers’ physical activity levels and internalizing problems on subsequent health outcomes (body-mass index, internalizing behavior problems, household health behaviors) in middle childhood. The potential influence of stressors salient in childhood (household chaos, socioeconomic status, stressful life events) on the hypothesized relationship between physical activity and internalizing on health was also explored. A specific focus was placed on examining the underlying genetic and environmental influences of children’s physical activity levels, as assessed by both temperamental (parent-reported) activity levels and observed (in-lab) motor behavior, using a behavioral genetic approach. By measuring physical activity in these two ways, this project also investigated the validity of the observational coding scheme developed for the current study to assess preschoolers’ overt motor behavior during laboratory testing. Data from 65 families (n = 134 children) included in the Southern Illinois Twins/Triplets and Siblings Study (SITSS) were examined from age 5 (physical activity levels, internalizing problems, and household chaos) to follow-up (body-mass index, internalizing problems, household health behavior, socioeconomic status, and stressful life events) when children were age 7-13 years old. Findings indicated that observed motor behavior and temperamental activity were not significantly correlated, suggesting that these measures assess different aspects of preschoolers’ physical activity levels. Additionally, results supported the reliability and validity of the newly developed observational coding scheme, which underscores the utility of this measure; employing this methodological tool in future studies focused on investigating motor behavior in childhood may be particularly fruitful. Genetic analyses demonstrated that approximately 66% and 34% of the variance in observed motor behavior was accounted for by additive genetic and non-shared environmental influences, respectively, whereas the variance in temperamental activity was attributable to dominant genetic effects (72%) and non-shared environmental influences (28%). These results suggest that differences in age 5 physical activity levels are largely due to genetic differences. Finally, longitudinal analyses showed that health outcomes at follow-up were significantly influenced by 5-year-old temperamental activity and internalizing problems, as well as follow-up socioeconomic status and stressful life events: 1) children who were older, were boys, and lived in a low socioeconomic status household had a higher body-mass index at follow-up; 2) children with higher age 5 internalizing problems and concurrent stressful life events had greater internalizing problems at follow-up; 3) boys and children with higher age 5 temperamental activity had lower scores for household health behaviors. The present project provides greater insight into childhood health (body-mass index, internalizing, household health behaviors) by examining factors relevant to health (physical activity levels, internalizing problems, stress) across development (i.e., from age 5 to ages 7-13 years).

No description available.

The present study investigated the direct and interactional effects of neighborhood disadvantage and harsh parenting on concurrent assessments and change in externalizing and internalizing behavior in toddlerhood. The study included 55 mothers and their children; families completed in-home assessments when children were 2 and 3 years of age. Mothers' reports were used to measure neighborhood disadvantage and children's problem behaviors. Observer ratings derived from a clean up task were used to measure harsh parenting. Four hierarchical regression equations were computed to test each study hypothesis. Results indicated marginally significant effects of harsh parenting on externalizing problems at age 2. Surprisingly, harsh parenting and exposure to neighborhood risk did not significantly predict increases in externalizing behavior problems from age 2 to 3. Harsh parenting was marginally related to children's internalizing problems under conditions of high levels of neighborhood disadvantage and predicted increases in internalizing over time. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

This study aims to find out the relationship among marital communication patterns, parental attitudes, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems of children. To elaborate, it is aimed to figure out whether marital communication patterns predict parental attitudes, and children internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Furthermore, it is purposed to investigate the relationship between parental attitudes and children adjustment. Finally, mediator role of parental attitudes between marital communication patterns and children adjustment was investigated. The participants of this study consist of 189 parents of preschool children. In order to measure the variables and characteristics of participants, Demographic Information Form, Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ), Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) are used. The results of the study revealed that higher levels of destructive communication pattern is significantly associated with higher levels of authoritarian parenting attitudes whereas higher levels of constructive communication pattern is related to lower levels of permissive parenting style. Moreover, there is positive significant relationship was found between mother reported constructive communication pattern and authoritative style. Furthermore, it was shown that mother reported authoritarian and authoritative parenting attitudes are linked to emotional problems of children. Another finding of the current study revealed that constructive communication pattern is related to prosocial behavior of children. Besides inattention problems of children was found to be associated with aggressive communication pattern and mother reported permissive parenting style. However, no significant mediation effect was found. The significance, limitations, and clinical implications were discussed in the light of related literature.

Three empirical studies comprising this dissertation were carried out to provide a more comprehensive understanding of concurrent measures of both predictors and outcomes of young adolescents' sibling interactions. The participants included older siblings (M age = 14.3), younger siblings (M age = 11.6), and their mothers from approximately 450 families who completed web-based surveys.Study one examined correlates of overt and relational aggression between young adolescent siblings. Family environment emerged as an important factor in explaining internalizing problems as well as overt/relational aggression for both younger and older siblings. Findings also provided partial support for the positive linkages between young adolescents' aggression and their own and siblings' internalizing problems above and beyond family and maternal variables. The main purpose of the study two was to investigate self-criticism as a potential mediating factor in the link between mother-child relationships and aggression or perceptions of social competence. Maternal self-criticism strongly corresponded to the quality of relationships with children, and an intergenerational similarity of self-criticism, particularly for older children, was found. Mother-child relationships and adolescent self-criticism were significantly related to aggression and perceptions of social competence. In addition, the link between mother-child relationships and aggression or social competence is mediated, in part, by self-criticism in adolescents. Using social control theory and attachment theory as guides, study three examined how qualities of young adolescents' social relationships (i.e., mother, sibling, and friend), and dynamic interactions among characteristics of those relationships, are associated with school involvement and delinquency. Results were largely consistent with tenets of social control theory and attachment theory. Young adolescents' social relationships were associated with their adjustment in ways that are protective or beneficial. Furthermore, these social affordances worked additively and in compensatory ways to promote positive adjustment. Positive relationship qualities tended to amplify other relational influences promoting successful development, and these findings were invariant across gender.While optimal mother-child relationships are central in nurturing the child's capacity to develop warm and harmonious sibling relationships in both a direct and an indirect manner, there is a considerable contribution of siblings to adjustment and socialization above and beyond the effects of mother-child relationships.

This study aimed at revealing the mediational role of mothers&rsquo / psychological adjustment between mothers&rsquo / parental attitudes and their preschool children&rsquo / s behavioral problems relationship. The participants were 204 married mothers, 64 fathers, 195 chief teachers and 25 assistant teachers of preschool children aged between 1&frac12 / - 5 years-old, who are attending nurseries in different neighborhoods of Ankara. Prior to the main analyses, the reliability analyses of Child Behavior Check List - 1&frac12 / - 5 (CBCL &ndash / 1&frac12 / - 5), and Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF) were conducted. These analyses yielded many significant coefficients, though the strength of the correlations varied from low to high. Following the reliability analyses, Hierarchical Regression Analyses were performed to test the mediational role of mothers&rsquo / psychological adjustment between their parental attitudes and children&rsquo / s internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems relationships. For these analyses, the variances accounted for by children&rsquo / s and mothers&rsquo / demographic characteristics were controlled. Results revealed that, &lsquo / Rejection of the Home Making Role&rsquo / measure of PARI and Trait Anxiety measure explained the largest amount of variances while predicting the children&rsquo / s behavioral problems. According to hierarchical regression analyses, rejecting attitudes of mothers significantly associated with children&rsquo / s internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems. Moreover, mothers&rsquo / rejecting attitudes significantly associated with their trait anxiety which is in turn associated with children&rsquo / s behavior problems. However, after controlling for the effect of trait anxiety, the relationship between mothers&rsquo / rejecting attitudes and their children&rsquo / s behavior problems was disappeared. Therefore, mothers&rsquo / trait anxiety was found to mediate their rejecting attitudes and preschool children&rsquo / s internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems. Results were discussed by referring the relevant literature.

Submitted by Oliveira Santos Dilzaná (dilznana@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-01-21T18:11:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Taiane Lins.pdf: 1221507 bytes, checksum: 3da7afa2c7a51540ad72a1fbbad55011 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Portela (anapoli@ufba.br) on 2014-02-03T13:41:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Taiane Lins.pdf: 1221507 bytes, checksum: 3da7afa2c7a51540ad72a1fbbad55011 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-02-03T13:41:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Taiane Lins.pdf: 1221507 bytes, checksum: 3da7afa2c7a51540ad72a1fbbad55011 (MD5) / CAPES / O controle psicológico envolve o uso de práticas educativas parentais como a superproteção, o envolvimento excessivo e o uso constante de críticas e insultos. Esse tipo controle tem sido destacado na literatura internacional como um dos preditores dos problemas internalizantes, por restringir as possibilidades de desenvolvimento da autonomia e de um repertório socialmente adequado na criança, que, em consequência desse tipo de prática, percebe-se como menos competente para a exploração do seu ambiente e para enfrentar situações novas. O presente estudo verificou as relações entre o controle psicológico (controle crítico e superproteção) e os problemas internalizantes em pré-escolares, assim como as relações entre o suporte apropriado e os problemas internalizantes em pré-escolares. Participaram deste estudo 103 mães cujos filhos, de ambos os sexos, tinham idade entre três e cinco anos. As mães foram convidadas a participar do estudo em sete escolas particulares de Salvador, nas quais as mensalidades variaram entre R$ 75,00 e R$ 220,00. Durante as entrevistas, previamente agendadas nas escolas dos filhos, as mães responderam a uma ficha de dados sociodemográficos, ao Inventário dos Comportamentos de Crianças entre 1½ e 5 anos (CBCL-1½-5) e à Entrevista Estruturada sobre Práticas Educativas Parentais e Socialização Infantil. O escore total de problemas internalizantes não foi predito pelas práticas educativas maternas investigadas. Porém, foram verificadas correlações significativas e positivas, mas de fraca intensidade, entre as síndromes ansiedade/depressão e retraimento, que compõem o agrupamento de problemas internalizantes, e o controle crítico. Contudo, as análises de regressão realizadas indicaram que apenas o retraimento foi predito significativamente pelo controle crítico. Discutem-se as formas pelas quais o controle crítico pode estar associado às duas síndromes, assim como a relevância das dimensões afetivas e de aspectos culturais para a compreensão das relações entre as práticas educativas maternas e os problemas internalizantes. Além disso, discute-se a influência de variáveis sociodemográficas sobre as práticas e sobre os problemas internalizantes, assim como as características do instrumento utilizado para a investigação das práticas educativas maternas. Psychological control involves the use of parental childrearing practices such as overprotection, excessive involvement, constant criticism, and verbal abuse. The international literature has regarded this type of control as one of the predictors of internalizing problems since it restricts children’s possibilities of developing autonomy and a socially appropriate behavior repertoire. Consequently, these children tend to see themselves as less competent to explore their environment and deal with new situations. The present study examined relations between psychological control (critical control and overprotection) and internalizing problems in preschool children and relations between appropriate support and internalizing behavior problems in preschool children. Participants in the study were 103 mothers whose children of both sexes were between the ages of three and five. Mothers were invited to participate in the study at seven private schools from Salvador. The monthly school fees ranged from R$ 75 to R$ 200 in these schools. During the interviews, which had been previously scheduled at the school meetings with the mothers, the participants completed a sociodemographic data form, the Child Behavior Checklist 1½-5, and the Child Socialization and Parental Childrearing Practices Structured Interview. The total score of internalizing problems was not predicted by the maternal childrearing practices. However, significant but weak positive correlations were found between anxiety/depression syndromes and withdrawal, making up the internalizing problems cluster, and critical control. Nonetheless, regression analysis revealed that only withdrawal was significantly predicted by critical control. The ways through which critical control may be associated with these two syndromes, as well as the relevance of the affective dimensions and cultural aspects to the understanding of the relationships between maternal childrearing practices and internalizing problems, are discussed. Furthermore, the influence of sociodemographic variables over these practices and over the internalizing problems, as well as the characteristics of the instrument used to investigate the maternal childrearing practices, is discussed.

Submitted by Oliveira Santos Dilzaná (dilznana@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-01-21T18:54:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação de João Marcos de Oliveira.pdf: 1378288 bytes, checksum: 12e88a6c38a32ea10e7a6fa33b03d2df (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Portela (anapoli@ufba.br) on 2014-02-03T15:14:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação de João Marcos de Oliveira.pdf: 1378288 bytes, checksum: 12e88a6c38a32ea10e7a6fa33b03d2df (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-02-03T15:14:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação de João Marcos de Oliveira.pdf: 1378288 bytes, checksum: 12e88a6c38a32ea10e7a6fa33b03d2df (MD5) / CNPq / Crianças com problemas internalizantes tendem a apresentar maior dificuldade de solucionar ou solicitar auxílio para situações de difícil resolução, além de possuírem um repertório restrito para as interações sociais e sofrerem com sintomas emocionais, como a ansiedade e a depressão. As práticas parentais intrusivas estão relacionadas ao desenvolvimento de problemas internalizantes e se caracterizam por restringir, invalidar ou manipular a experiência e as expressões emocionais e comportamentais da criança, ou criticá-la e humilhá-la. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito de uma intervenção grupal, direcionada às práticas educativas parentais, sobre os problemas internalizantes na infância por meio de um delineamento quase-experimental com grupos não-equivalentes, com pré e pós-teste. A hipótese principal foi a de que, no grupo intervenção, os escores de problemas internalizantes e de suas respectivas síndromes no pós-teste seriam inferiores quando comparados aos escores de problemas internalizantes no pré-teste. Esperava-se também que os escores de problemas internalizantes e das síndromes internalizantes fossem mais altos no grupo comparação do que no grupo intervenção no pós-teste. Participaram 13 mães e um pai de crianças entre três e seis anos divididos em dois grupos: intervenção e comparação. A intervenção teve oito sessões grupais com frequência semanal. Os instrumentos utilizados foram uma ficha de dados sociodemográficos, e os Inventários dos Comportamentos de Crianças nas versões para 1½ a 5 anos (CBCL/1½-5 anos) e de Crianças e Adolescentes de 6 a 18 anos (CBCL/6-18 anos). A análise de dados foi conduzida por meio de procedimentos de estatística descritiva e dos Testes Wilcoxon e Mann-Whitney. Os resultados revelaram redução nos escores do grupo intervenção, do pré para o pós-teste, na síndrome queixas somáticas. O impacto da intervenção sobre as queixas somáticas pode ter sido consequência dos seguintes processos induzidos ou iniciados pelo programa de intervenção: a) substituição de práticas superprotetoras e coercitivas por práticas facilitadoras do desenvolvimento social, levando à extinção respondente de componentes relacionados às dimensões fisiológicas de emoções eliciadas por práticas intrusivas e, especialmente, por aquelas de caráter coercitivo, como por exemplo, dores de barriga ou enjoos; b) aumento do controle da criança sobre o contexto das relações pais-filhos, diminuindo seu caráter aversivo e imprevisível e levando à extinção respondente dos sintomas somáticos. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos para problemas internalizantes, nem para as síndromes. Discutem-se as implicações da duração e da amplitude da intervenção, da não equivalência dos grupos, da idade e da escolaridade dos participantes. Children with internalizing problems tend to have greater difficulty in solving or request assistance for resolution of difficult situations, besides having a restricted repertoire to social interactions and suffer with emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Intrusive parenting practices are related to the development of internalizing problems and are characterized by actions that restrict, manipulate or invalidate the experience and the behavioral and emotional expressions of the child. This study evaluated the effect of a group intervention, targeted to parenting practices, on internalizing problems in childhood through a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent groups with pre-and post-test. The initial hypothesis was that, in the intervention group, scores for internalizing problems and their respective syndromes at posttest were lower when compared to the scores of internalizing problems at pretest. It was also expected that the scores for internalizing problems and internalizing syndromes were higher in the comparison group than in the intervention group at posttest. Participants in the study were 13 mothers and one father of children between three and six years old divided into two groups: intervention and comparison. The intervention had eight weekly group sessions. The instruments used were a sociodemographic data form, and the Child Behavior Checklist in versions for 1 ½ - 5 years (CBCL / 1 ½ -5 years) and 6-18 years (CBCL/6-18 years). Data analysis was conducted using procedures of descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. The results indicated a decline in scores in the intervention group, from pre to post-test in somatic complaints. The impact of the intervention on somatic complaints could have been the result of the following processes inducted or initiated by the intervention program: a) replacement of overprotective and coercive practices by parenting practices that facilitate social development, leading to the extinction of respondent components related to physiological dimensions of emotions elicited by intrusive practices and especially for those coercive character, such as stomach aches or nausea; b) increase of the child's control over the context of parent-child relationships, diminishing his aversive and unpredictable character and leading to the respondent extinction of somatic symptoms. There were no significant differences between groups for internalizing problems, or for syndromes. The implications of the length and period of the intervention, the non-equivalence of groups, age and educational level of the participants are discussed.

The origins of aggression warrant extensive investigation given its substantial cost to both victims and perpetrators. However, only recently have researchers begun to understand the prevalence and harm associated with relational aggression, which is behaviour intended to damage another person’s feelings, relationships, or social status, such as social exclusion or spreading rumors. Even with this heightened research interest in relational aggression there is a paucity of studies conducted with children prior to age four, the developmental period in which relational aggression begins to emerge. In this dissertation we ascertain what unique lags in development or blossoming capacities coincide with the emergence of both physical and relational aggression during early childhood. In Study 1, we examined differential predictors (sex, age, prosocial behaviour, internalizing problems, and impulsivity) of teacher-rated aggression style (physically aggressive, relationally aggressive, or combined physically and relationally aggressive) among preschoolers (N = 429; M = 41.29, SD = 8.14) using multinomial logistic regression. Being a boy and being higher on impulsivity were both substantial risk factors for use of physical aggression (alone or combined with relational aggression). In Study 2, we explored longitudinal associations between preschoolers’ (N = 126; Mage = 39.15 months, SD = 6.67) assessed language (receptive and expressive vocabulary), parent-rated working memory, and teacher-rated aggression (physical and relational) across one year using an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model. Longitudinally, physical aggression showed stability and both better working memory and previously higher physical aggression predicted higher relational aggression over one year. There were no longitudinal links between language and aggression when simultaneously accounting for working memory in the model, emphasizing the need to account for working memory in this association in future research. In Study 3, using four, separate multivariate multiple regressions, we examined the linear and interactive effects between negative emotionality and several aspects of self-regulation (inhibitory, emotional [soothability], attentional [attention span], and metacognitive [working memory] control) in the prediction of preschoolers’ (N = 198; M = 33.65 months, SD = 5.02) physical and relational aggression. Poorer inhibitory and metacognitive control were associated with higher physical aggression regardless of trait negative emotionality, highlighting the importance of self-regulation rather than emotional reactivity in models of physical aggression. Poorer inhibitory control was also linked to higher relational aggression. Also, negative emotionality was most strongly linked to relational aggression at higher levels of emotional control or attentional control. In summary, the results of the present dissertation support a skill-deficit model of preschool physical aggression (alone or in combination with relational aggression) and both a skill-deficit and developmental advancement model for preschool relational aggression.