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The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: the mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Nix, RL; Pinderhughes, EE; Dodge, KA; Bates, JE; Pettit, GS; McFadyen-Ketchum, SA
Published in: Child development
July 1999

This study examined relations among mothers' hostile attribution tendencies regarding their children's ambiguous problem behaviors, mothers' harsh discipline practices, and children's externalizing behavior problems. A community sample of 277 families (19% minority representation) living in three geographic regions of the United States was followed for over 4 years. Mothers' hostile attribution tendencies were assessed during the summer prior to children's entry into kindergarten through their responses to written vignettes. Mothers' harsh discipline practices were assessed concurrently through ratings by interviewers and reports by spouses. Children's externalizing behavior problems were assessed concurrently through written questionnaires by mothers and fathers and in the spring of kindergarten and first, second, and third grades through reports by teachers and peer sociometric nominations. Results of structural equations models demonstrated that mothers' hostile attribution tendencies predicted children's future externalizing behavior problems at school and that a large proportion of this relation was mediated by mothers' harsh discipline practices. These results remained virtually unchanged when controlling for initial levels of children's prekindergarten externalizing behavior problems at home.

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Published In

Child development

DOI

EISSN

1467-8624

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

July 1999

Volume

70

Issue

4

Start / End Page

896 / 909

Related Subject Headings

  • Parenting
  • Mothers
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Maternal Behavior
  • Male
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Internal-External Control
  • Humans
  • Hostility
  • Follow-Up Studies
 

Citation

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Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Nix, R. L., Pinderhughes, E. E., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., Pettit, G. S., & McFadyen-Ketchum, S. A. (1999). The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: the mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices. Child Development, 70(4), 896–909. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00065
Nix, R. L., E. E. Pinderhughes, K. A. Dodge, J. E. Bates, G. S. Pettit, and S. A. McFadyen-Ketchum. “The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: the mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices.Child Development 70, no. 4 (July 1999): 896–909. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00065.
Nix RL, Pinderhughes EE, Dodge KA, Bates JE, Pettit GS, McFadyen-Ketchum SA. The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: the mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices. Child development. 1999 Jul;70(4):896–909.
Nix, R. L., et al. “The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: the mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices.Child Development, vol. 70, no. 4, July 1999, pp. 896–909. Epmc, doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00065.
Nix RL, Pinderhughes EE, Dodge KA, Bates JE, Pettit GS, McFadyen-Ketchum SA. The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: the mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices. Child development. 1999 Jul;70(4):896–909.
Journal cover image

Published In

Child development

DOI

EISSN

1467-8624

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

July 1999

Volume

70

Issue

4

Start / End Page

896 / 909

Related Subject Headings

  • Parenting
  • Mothers
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Maternal Behavior
  • Male
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Internal-External Control
  • Humans
  • Hostility
  • Follow-Up Studies