One or many? Which and how many parenting variables should be targeted in interventions to reduce children's externalizing behavior?

Abstract

This research compared the efficacy of two parenting interventions that vary according to the number and the nature of variables in reducing preschoolers' externalizing behavior (EB). The goal was to identify which parenting intervention format (one-variable versus two-variable) caused higher behavioral adjustment in children. The first was a one-variable intervention manipulating parental self-efficacy beliefs. The second was a two-variable intervention manipulating both parents' self-efficacy beliefs and emotion coaching practices. The two interventions shared exactly the same design, consisting of eight parent group sessions. Effect on children's EB and observed behaviors were evaluated through a multi-method assessment at three points (pre-test, post-test and follow-up). The results highlighted that compared to the waitlist condition, the two intervention formats tended to cause a significant reduction in children's EB reported by their parent. However, the one-variable intervention was found to lead to a greater decrease in children's EB at follow-up. The opposite was reported for children's observed behavior, which was improved to a greater extent in the two-variable intervention at post-test and follow-up. The results illustrated that interventions' format cannot be considered as purely interchangeable since their impact on children's behavior modification is different. The results are discussed for their research and clinical implications.

Evidence of increased PTSD symptoms in autistics exposed to applied behavior analysis

“…Behaviorist theorists believe that changing the parents’ perception of their children is key to changing the child’s behavior. However, other researchers found that instead of the child’s behavior modifying, the parents became conditioned to report the child’s observed behavior with a more positive view (Loop et al , 2017). Consistent with our findings, caregivers of ABA-exposed children reported higher satisfaction ratings with longer intervention exposure, even though their PTSS severity scores did not change significantly.…”

“…Such programs “focus on helping parents to model more effective behaviour” and produce a statistically significant reduction in child conduct problems (Furlong et al , 2010, p. 3). A large proportion of parenting interventions directly derived from the social learning theory contribute to reduce preschoolers’ externalizing behavior, “but their multimodal format prevents us to know what causes change in children’s behavioral adjustment” (Loop et al , 2017). While researchers are interested in parent involvement in minimizing negative childhood behavior, few studies investigate the extent to which the manipulation of parenting variables influences the caregiver.…”