Mothers’ aversion sensitivity and reciprocal negativity in mother–child interactions: Implications for coercion theory.

Abstract

Coercion theory well characterizes the behavioral aspects that often lead to dysfunctional family processes. Recent conceptualizations have incorporated emotion into models of coercive interactions, yet empirical evidence has been limited. In this study, repeated measures of mother–child dyads (N = 319) were assessed over the course of 2 years to examine whether within-mother (i.e., intraindividual) levels of aversion sensitivity—their negative emotional arousal when faced with aversive child behavior—are associated with four known components of coercive parent–child interactions: initiation, length, frequency, and the tendency to end the negative cycle. During multiple assessments over 2 years, conflictual conversations between newly divorced mothers (Mbaseline age = 36.8, SDbaseline age = 6.6; 64% non-Hispanic White) and their 4- to 11-year-old children (Mbaseline age = 7.77, SDbaseline age = 2.0; 52% female) were observed and microcoded. Forty-seven observed child behaviors were ranked from low to high aversive. Mothers’ general rates of negative emotional expression and the rates at which their negative expression increased as children’s behavior became increasingly aversive (i.e., their aversion sensitivity) were recorded. Results were consistent with coercion theory, revealing significant within-dyad associations between mothers’ aversion sensitivity and all four components of coercive parent–child interactions. These findings suggest the importance of understanding the functions that parents’ intraindividual emotional processes have in difficult, coercive family processes. Understanding such processes holds promise for clarifying how to intervene to reduce parent–child interactions known to be problematic for children’s development.

An emotion‐focused extension of coercion theory: Emerging evidence and conceptualizations for parental experienced emotion as a mechanism of reinforcement in coercive parent–child interactions

“…In line with these findings, in a recent study, mothers' heightened affective sensitivity to children's aversiveness was significantly associated with four components of coercive parent–child interactions: Initiation of negative reciprocities, their length and frequency, and mothers' tendency to “give in” to end the negative cycle (Moed, 2022). Conflict episodes between mothers and their 4‐ to 11‐year‐old children tended to be initiated by the mother, last longer, and occur more frequently when mothers were easily negatively aroused by children's negative behaviors.…”

“…Yet this focus on observable, interpersonal aspects has resulted in relatively limited attention to intraindividual phenomena, such as internal experience (e.g., experienced negative emotion) that drives parents' observed negative expression. However, emerging conceptualizations and analyses offer powerful insights regarding emotion as an integral component of coercive interactions (e.g., Moed, 2022; Slep et al., 2018).…”

“…Experiencing negative emotion is an aversive state, one that regulatory efforts are often directed at reducing or terminating. Parents' internal experience in response to children's behavior may influence which, when, and how parenting behaviors occur (Cyranowski et al., 2009; Dix, 1991; Moed, 2022). Thus, parents' affective responses to children's inputs may organize and motivate their expressed behaviors and parenting practices.…”