The relationship between maternal sensitivity (MS) and child outcomes has been examined by earlier research. There is some evidence that MS plays a role in shaping temperament development in early childhood. Child temperament outcomes are a significant predictor for functioning in later life. The study is based on 952 mother-infant pairs from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). MS was observed at 12-months and temperament at 24-months. Linear regression was used to investigate the association between MS and temperament, adjusting for a range of confounders (temperament at 6 months, gender, SES, maternal mental health, maternal preconceptions of her child, parental conflict, gestation and maternal age). Multiple imputation was used to account for attrition. Mother-child interactions rated as “cool/moderate” were associated with more difficult temperament on the dimensions of “approach” (Coef 0.35, CI 0.09, 0.60),“rhythmicity”(Coef 0.43, CI 0.19, 0.68) and “adaptability” (Coef 0.24, CI 0.00, 0.49). The associations remained after adjusting for confounders in the imputed data set. There is evidence that maternal warmth may be influential in the development of child temperament, particularly positive affect, sociability and affect regulation. Further research is needed to replicate these findings.

The link between interparental conflict and adolescents’ maladjustment has been well established among European Americans; however, relatively few studies examine these relationships in Chinese societies. This study used longitudinal data from the Taiwan Youth Project (TYP), an on-going longitudinal panel research project focused on adolescent development, in order to examine the relationship between interparental conflict and depressive symptoms and externalizing problem behaviors of adolescents. In addition, this study examined parental warmth as a mediating variable for the relationship between interparental conflict and adolescents’ maladjustment. The results showed that interparental conflict predicted depressive symptoms among adolescents two years later. Mediation analysis indicated that parental warmth partially mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and depressive symptoms. However, findings indicated that there was no direct effect between interparental conflict and adolescent externalizing behaviors two years later; rather, the association was indirect through the mediating variable of overall parental warmth. Thus, overall parental warmth fully mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and subsequent externalizing behaviors. These results yield valuable information for clinical intervention and further research.

During adolescence, self-systems and individual perceptions of the self are changing and heavily influenced by family relationships, which are generally the first and longest lasting connections individuals experience. Thus, to understand youth development, it is imperative to investigate the family context, wherein parent-youth relationships and sibling relationships impact one another. The current study examines the effect of a close sibling relationship on youth self-esteem above and beyond the effect of the mother-youth relationship. A cross-sectional study was employed on a sample of 434 families in the US, which all consisted of one mother and at least a pair of siblings. All three members of the family participating filled in an online survey. The target youth were between the 5th to 7th grades. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses find sibling warmth as a significant predictor for youth self-perception, but not for youth self-criticism. The present study shows the importance of considering not only the mother-youth relationship when analyzing youth self-system development, but also the sibling relationship. / Under adolescensen förändras självsystemet, eller individens uppfattning om det egna jaget, och är kraftigt influerat av individens familjerelationer. Dessa relationer är generellt de mest varaktiga relationer som en individ upplever. För att förstå ungdomsutveckling är det därför nödvändigt att undersöka familjekontexten, i vilken relationerna mellan förälder-ungdom och mellan syskon påverkar varandra. Denna studie undersöker effekten av en nära syskonrelation på ungdomars självkänsla utöver och bortom effekten från ungdomars föräldrarelation. Studien är en tvärsnittsstudie av 434 familjer i USA bestående av minst en mor och ett syskonpar. Dessa tre familjemedlemmar deltog alla i en webbaserad undersökning. Denna studies fokus är de av ungdomarna som vid undersökningens tidpunkt gick i årskurs 5 till 7. Med hierarkisk multipel regressionsanalys visas att en varm syskonrelation är en signifikant prediktor för ungdomars självuppfattning, men inte för ungdomars självkritik. Denna studie visar på vikten av att inte endast beakta relationen mellan mor och ungdom när ungdomars självsystem analyseras, utan även syskonrelationen.