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Correlates of Parental Differential Treatment: Parental and Contextual Factors During Middle Childhood
Author(s) -
AtzabaPoria Naama,
Pike Alison
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01121.x
Subject(s) - psychology , dyad , sibling , developmental psychology , anger , differential treatment , clinical psychology , international trade , business
The current study examined whether parental and contextual risk factors contribute to mothers’ and fathers’ differential treatment (MDT/FDT) when accounting for sibling dyad characteristics. Also explored was whether family type (single mothers vs. 2 parents) moderated the links between the parental and contextual correlates and MDT. One hundred and seventy‐two families with older ( M = 7.4 years) and younger ( M = 5.2 years) siblings were studied. Parents and children reported about the parent–child relationship, and parents reported about the children’s characteristics, their own psychological resources, and contextual factors. Controlling for sibling dyad characteristics, FDT was predicted most consistently by household chaos. Furthermore, single mothers were not at risk per se for using more MDT but only when coupled with high maternal anger.