Rigidity in Parent–Child Interactions and the Development of Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior in Early Childhood

Abstract

Behavioral rigidity is a common feature of many psychopathologies, yet the association between rigidity and the development of childhood psychopathology has not been studied. State space grids (a dynamic systems [DS] method) were used to examine the relation between rigidity in parent-child interactions and childhood externalizing and internalizing problems. High-risk kindergarten children (n = 240) and their parents were observed for 2 hr engaging in a variety of tasks that were expected to elicit a range of affect. State space grid analysis of the observational data revealed an association between rigidity in parent-child interactions and child externalizing behavior problems in the fall and spring of kindergarten and 1st grade, and with growth in those problems over time. Rigidity was associated with concurrent levels and with chronic high-level internalizing problems. Strengths and limitations of the new DS methodology in relation to understanding child psychopathology are discussed.

Trouble Ahead: Predicting Antisocial Trajectories with Dynamic Systems Concepts and Methods

“…Unfortunately, these measures are combined into a construct score for rigidity, so it is not clear what each contributes on its own. Hollenstein et al (2004) find that rigidity in parentchild interactions predicts both internalizing and externalizing behavior patterns, independent of the content of those interactions. But the way in which they measured these relations is critical.…”

“…Dishion et al's (2004) results portray orderliness as a double-edged sword: "good" order allows for more normal friendships, whereas "bad" order entrenches the impact of negative content on future outcomes. Along similar lines, Hollenstein et al (2004) construe "bad" order as rigidity, and they refer to a longstanding literature linking rigid dyadic interactions to negative personality patterns and psychopathology. Rigidity is viewed as the converse of malleability, adaptability, or the capacity to react sensitively to changing social demands.…”

“…Conditional probabilities are probably the most sensitive way to do this using method already familiar to developmentalists. However, new techniques such as state space grid analysis (Hollenstein, Granic, Stoolmiller, & Snyder, 2004) and Dishion, Nelson, Winter, and Bullock's (2004) entropy analysis look at the organization of behavior at the level of the system rather than the level of simple events. These will be important commodities if this marriage is to succeed.…”

“…The meaning of orderliness in interpersonal interactions is further investigated by Hollenstein et al (2004). Using the same sample as Snyder et al (2004), they attempt to predict teacher-rated antisocial behavior across four waves (kindergarten to grade 1) on the basis of interactions between these children (when starting kindergarten) and their mothers.…”

“…These indices get at the process of real-time behavioral organization directly. Hollenstein et al (2004) use a state space grid, as described earlier, to map out the flow of behavior in real time; but rather than measure entropy as an index of orderliness, they introduce three related parameters. First, rigidity is construed as a diminished behavioral repertoire, so these authors assess the number of cells on the grid occupied by the dyad's behavior: the more cells occupied, the greater the range of behavioral variation, and the less rigidity.…”