Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems
Childhood experience of harsh discipline such as psychological and physical aggression has been consistently associated with greater behavioral problems. Harsh discipline may not have similar negative implications in Singapore where it is deemed normative. This study examined the direct path bet...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177813 |
| _version_ | 1811695440432726016 |
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| author | Won, Ying Qing Kyeong, Yena Setoh, Peipei |
| author2 | School of Social Sciences |
| author_facet | School of Social Sciences Won, Ying Qing Kyeong, Yena Setoh, Peipei |
| author_sort | Won, Ying Qing |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Childhood experience of harsh discipline such as psychological and physical aggression has been consistently associated with greater behavioral problems. Harsh
discipline may not have similar negative implications in Singapore where it is deemed
normative. This study examined the direct path between childhood harsh discipline and
behavioral problems, as well as the mediating roles of three attachment dimensions (i.e., trust, communication, alienation). Singaporean young adults (N = 449, Mage = 22.6, 52% female) reported on their childhood disciplinary experiences using Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale and current attachment towards parent using Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, separately for mother and father. They also reported on their current externalizing and internalizing problems using Adult Self-Report Questionnaire. To account for clustering of maternal and paternal discipline and attachment data within young adults, multilevel path analysis was conducted. After controlling for child gender and non-violent discipline, severe physical discipline (e.g., slapping around the face) was directly associated with greater internalizing problems (B = 0.33, SE = 0.16, p = .046). Minor physical discipline (e.g., spanking) was not related to behavioral problems. Psychological aggression was not directly, but indirectly associated with greater externalizing (95% CI [0.02, 0.18]) and internalizing problems (95% CI [0.04, 0.19]) through alienation. Our results suggest that alienation is a unique attachment dimension that underlies the association between parental psychological aggression and young adults’ behavioral problems. Minor physical discipline may have less adverse consequences in a normative context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:23:30Z |
| format | Working Paper |
| id | ntu-10356/177813 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:23:30Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1778132024-06-02T15:31:37Z Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems Won, Ying Qing Kyeong, Yena Setoh, Peipei School of Social Sciences Division of Psychology Social Sciences Childhood experience of harsh discipline such as psychological and physical aggression has been consistently associated with greater behavioral problems. Harsh discipline may not have similar negative implications in Singapore where it is deemed normative. This study examined the direct path between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems, as well as the mediating roles of three attachment dimensions (i.e., trust, communication, alienation). Singaporean young adults (N = 449, Mage = 22.6, 52% female) reported on their childhood disciplinary experiences using Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale and current attachment towards parent using Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, separately for mother and father. They also reported on their current externalizing and internalizing problems using Adult Self-Report Questionnaire. To account for clustering of maternal and paternal discipline and attachment data within young adults, multilevel path analysis was conducted. After controlling for child gender and non-violent discipline, severe physical discipline (e.g., slapping around the face) was directly associated with greater internalizing problems (B = 0.33, SE = 0.16, p = .046). Minor physical discipline (e.g., spanking) was not related to behavioral problems. Psychological aggression was not directly, but indirectly associated with greater externalizing (95% CI [0.02, 0.18]) and internalizing problems (95% CI [0.04, 0.19]) through alienation. Our results suggest that alienation is a unique attachment dimension that underlies the association between parental psychological aggression and young adults’ behavioral problems. Minor physical discipline may have less adverse consequences in a normative context. Ministry of Education (MOE) 2024-05-31T03:21:54Z 2024-05-31T03:21:54Z 2024 Working Paper Won, Y. Q., Kyeong, Y. & Setoh, P. (2024). Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177813 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177813 en RG39/22 © 2024 The Author(s). All rights reserved. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Social Sciences Won, Ying Qing Kyeong, Yena Setoh, Peipei Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| title | Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| title_full | Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| title_fullStr | Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| title_short | Examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| title_sort | examining the mediating roles of attachment dimensions in the associations between childhood harsh discipline and behavioral problems |
| topic | Social Sciences |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/177813 |
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