Date of Award

Spring 8-1-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Elizabeth O'Laughlin

Second Advisor

Tom Johnson

Third Advisor

Ted Maldonado

Abstract

This study aimed to contribute to the existing literature by investigating parenting factors that contribute to child emotional regulation (ER). Prior research suggests that while emotion dysregulation is not part of current diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), children with ADHD often exhibit greater emotion regulation (ER) difficulties compared to their neurotypical peers. Research focused on parenting has found that parent’s ability to manage their emotions within a parenting context (parenting ER) as well as parenting styles (either positive or negative) are associated with child emotional regulation skills. However, previous research has not considered the influence of both parenting style and parenting ER. This study adds to the literature by considering the interaction of parenting ER with parenting style in predicting child ER. More specifically, the present study examined the influence of positive and negative parenting styles on the relationship between parenting ER and child ER among children referred for an ADHD evaluation. Participants included 87 children ages 5 – 12. Parents completed a measure of parenting style and a measure of parenting emotional regulation and provided ratings of child emotional regulation as part of the child’s ADHD evaluation. Contrary to predictions and previous research, no association was found between parenting ER and child ER. Further, positive parenting style was not significantly associated with child ER; however, negative parenting style was significant associated with parent report of child ER. Considering specific subscales of negative parenting style, lax parenting was significantly associated with parenting ER (negative association) as well as child ER (positive association). Results also indicated a significant relationship between parenting ER and parenting style, both positive and negative. However, contrary to predictions, neither negative nor positive parenting style was found to moderate the relationship between parenting ER and parent or teacher reports of child ER. Exploratory regression analyses found a significant interaction between parenting ER and negative parenting style in predicting teacher reports of child ER. This study further examined the potential impact of elevated parenting ER scores and, in line with predictions, revealed that lower parenting ER was associated with higher teacher reported child emotion dysregulation when elevated parenting ER scores were excluded. Results provide valuable insights into the intricate relationship between parenting ER, parenting style, and child ER within a sample of children referred for ADHD, offering implications for interventions aimed at enhancing child emotional well-being.

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