Despite the long-standing debate over the assumed universality of maternal sensitivity predicting attachment security (i.e., sensitivity hypothesis), few long-term longitudinal investigations on attachment have been conducted outside the Western context. We leveraged data from a prospective 9-year longitudinal study of middle-class families (N =…

This study examined the relation between interparental conflict and cortisol recovery, with child temperamental negative affectivity as the moderator. Children (n = 118) ages 9-11 years observed an argument between their parents in the lab and provided saliva samples for cortisol assays. Children also reported levels of interparental conflict, and…

Children raised in chaotic households show affect dysregulation during later childhood. To understand why, we took day-long home recordings using microphones and autonomic monitors from 74 12-month-old infant-caregiver dyads (40% male, 60% white, data collected between 2018 and 2021). Caregivers in low-Confusion Hubbub And Order Scale (chaos)…

This study investigates mothers' and siblings' perspectives regarding similarities and differences in siblingships with and without autism. Twenty-nine typical children (M[subscript age] = 8.78 years, SD = 2.05) whose younger siblings have a diagnosis of autism and their mothers constituted the 'autism group.' Forty-six typical children…

This study used a person-centred approach to consider profiles of parent-child sex communication. We sought to determine whether profiles of sex communication were distinguishable from one another based on aspects of both the parent and the child. Participants included 596 US young people (51% female at birth; Mage = 14.55, SD = 1.70, 56% white),…

Unwanted pursuit behaviours (UPBs) are behaviours that are often intended to initiate a relationship or restore romantic relationships following a break-up. Research shows relatively high prevalence rates of UPBs in college students. In the current study, we tested a conceptual mediation model, where perceived parental warmth would be indirectly…

Affect-biased attention is an important predictive factor of children's early socio-emotional development, possibly shaped by the family environment. Our study aimed to reveal children's temporal dynamic patterns of affect-biased attention by looking at time series of attention to emotional faces, individual differences in temporal dynamics, and…

Parenting behaviors have long been recognized as crucial to children's healthy development. However, examinations of the etiology of these behaviors are less prevalent. The current study investigated the driving forces behind parental warmth and discipline, particularly whether they are related more to traits within the parent or reactions to…

Guided by developmental models examining the legacy of childhood caregiving environments, we examined the longitudinal pattern of associations between harsh parenting and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms across late childhood to late adolescence. Participants included 199 youth (48.7% female, 65.3% White, 32.2% Black, 2.5%…

Parental educational anxiety, characterised by worry and anxiety about their children's education, has emerged as a significant social issue. Drawing upon the theory of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), this study introduces a specific type of parental educational anxiety--parental FoMO on their children's schooling, arising from concerns that their…

Sleeping difficulties among adolescents constitute a pressing public health issue, and it is of the utmost importance that these are approached from a health-promotion perspective. This study explores adolescents' suggestions on how their sleep could be supported. Data were collected via eight focus group interviews with 43 adolescents aged 15-16,…

Emphasis on continuous infant sleep overnight may be driven by parental concern of risk to child mental health outcomes. The Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS) examined whether infant sleep at 6 and 12 months postpartum predicts anxiety disorders at 2-4 years, and whether this is moderated by maternal depression, active physical…

Traditionally, children have generally been considered as developmentally immature and unable to experience spirituality. However, more recent studies seem to indicate the opposite. This article aims to: (1) explore how religiosity and spirituality evolve in the developing person; (2) describe the perceptions of children about God; (3) explore how…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which ecological factors (e.g., COVID-related caregiver stress and parental warmth) were related to the receptive language skills of children with language impairment (LI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Thirty-five children with LI receiving speech therapy within US public…

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of heritage language usage among adolescents from immigrant families on the enhancement of family bonds and ethnic identity among Arab immigrants. In order to accomplish the stated objective, a total of 321 expatriates and their respective families residing in Saudi Arabia were surveyed, and…