Access Type

Open Access Thesis

Date of Award

January 2017

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Douglas Barnett

Abstract

Examined was the role of caregiver positive expressiveness (PE) in the relation between parenting stress and change in child adjustment from preschool to early elementary in a low-income sample. Participants included 133 caregiver-child dyads who participated in a laboratory task and completed measures on parenting daily hassles (PDH), depressive symptoms and child problem behaviors when children were in preschool; and 98 who returned when the children were in elementary. Observed caregiver PE was coded from a videotaped family drawing task. The moderated regression analysis did not support the hypothesis that caregiver PE was a protective factor, attenuating the relation between PDH and child externalizing problems. However, results suggest that high levels of caregiver PE may buffer against increases in children’s externalizing behaviors when caregivers are experiencing high levels of parenting stress. Additional analysis examining PDH and caregiver depressive symptoms in prediction of child problem behaviors were also conducted and discussed.

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