Contextual risk, caregiver emotionality, and the problem behaviors of six- and seven-year-old children from economically disadvantaged families

Child Dev. 1999 Nov-Dec;70(6):1415-27. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00103.

Abstract

This study explored the relations between additive and cumulative representations of contextual risk, caregiver emotionality, child adaptability, and teacher reports of the problem behaviors of 6- and 7-year-old children (N = 155) from economically disadvantaged families. The results showed relations between both risk representations and child problem scores and provided evidence that the relation for cumulative risk may be moderated by caregiver negative emotionality and caregiver positive emotionality and partially mediated by child adaptability. The results suggest the importance of exploring alternative representations of contextual risk and the conditions under which contextual risk influences child behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Caregivers / psychology*
  • Child
  • Child Behavior Disorders / diagnosis
  • Child Behavior Disorders / psychology*
  • Child of Impaired Parents / psychology*
  • Emotions*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • Male
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Personality Assessment
  • Poverty / psychology*
  • Psychosocial Deprivation*
  • Risk Factors