Year: 2006
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The current study had two purposes. The first purpose was to examine the\nassociation between family rules and routines and first grade children's teacher-rated and\npeer-rated behavioral competencies (e.g., emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer\nproblems, hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior) after controlling for both family\nstressors (i.e., single parent home, mobility, socioeconomic status, property ownership)\nand child ethnicity (African American, Caucasian, Hispanic). The second purpose was to\ndetermine if child regulatory control abilities mediates the effects of family rules and\nroutines and children's behavioral competencies.\nThe parents of 215 ethnically diverse children (38%, Caucasian, 22% African\nAmerican, 33% Hispanic, 7% Other) were interviewed in their homes with a modified\nand shortened version of Family Routines Inventory (FRI; Jensen, James, Boyce, &\nHartnett, 1983). Teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ;\nGoodman, 1997), and peers completed a modified version of the Class Play (Masten,\nMorison & Pelligrini, 1985). Scores from the SDQ were standardized and combined\nwith the standardized scores obtained from the peer nominations to create composites of the behavioral competencies. Additionally, teachers completed a modified version of the\nCalifornia Child Q-set (CCQ) (Block & Block, 1980) as a measure of these children's\nregulatory control abilities.\nAfrican American parents' ratings of their family's rules and routines were\nhigher than those of Hispanic and Caucasian parents' ratings. Additionally, family\nstressors were positively associated with higher teacher and peer ratings of conduct\nproblems and lower ratings of prosocial behavior. Neither ethnicity nor family rules and\nroutines predicted child competencies. A statistically significant curvilinear relationship\nwas found between family rules and routines and conduct problems such that children of\nparents reporting the highest and lowest levels of family rules and routines have more\nconduct problems. No associations were found between family rules and routines and\nchild competencies or children's regulatory control abilities. Limitations of the study are\ndiscussed in terms of inadequate measurement of family rules and routines, a defensive\nresponse set, self-selection on the part of the parents to participate in the interview, and a\nsample that is not representative of the community of parents and children in the\nparticipating schools.
Author: Crystal R. Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2284201474