The prediction of behavior problems in 6- to 8- year-old children from mothers' reports of child-rearing practices

Abstract

PROBLEMThe dimensionality of behavior problem shas received thorough attention in recent literature in the work of Quay et al. (16, I7, 1*), who have repeatedly identified three to four orthogonal factors in analyses of teachers' checklists of problem behavior. Earlier factor analytic investigations in this area (Hirnmelweit's(") analysis of Ackerson's(') case record data, and Peterson'~(1~) analysis of teacher checklist data) identified two major dimensions identified as "personality problem" and "conduct problem." The former was composed of such variables as sensitivity, absent-mindedness, seclusiveness, daydreaming, inefficiency in work, inferiority feelings, changeability in moods, and nervousness; the latter dimension was composed of such variables as truancy from home and school, fighting, lying, destructiveness, rudeness, selfishness, and temper tantrums. Dielman ( 5 ) and Dielman, el al. c6) have criticized the earlier investigations on both theoretical and methodological grounds and have identified eight factors, which are those employed as the dependent variables in this study, as "hyperactivity," "disciplinary prob-

Boys who fight at home and school: Family conditions influencing cross-setting consistency.

“…One post hoc hypothesis explaining this finding is that mothers of the teacher-identified fighters try to gain control over their child's behavior at home, but they do so coercively. It may well be, as some research indicates, that the parents' punitiveness or strictness is an independent factor responsible for the child's aggression outside of the home (Dielman & Cattell, 1972;Eron, Walder, & Lefkowitz, 1971;McCord, McCord, & Howard, 1963;Patterson, 1982).…”

Cross-Validational Evidence on the Structure of Parental Reports of Child Rearing Practices

“…This factor for both the mothers and fathers bears a strong resemblance to Milton's ( 6 ) "Responsible child-training orientation" factor, and has been found to be correlated with a behavior problem factor which was given the label "Acting out" (3). The second factor in both Tables 1 and 2 has been labelled "High use of physical punishment,'' which includes, in the analysis of ,the mothers' data, a lack of propensity to reason with children.…”