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Acceptance of Emotions As a Buffer for the Negative Effects of Inconsistent Discipline on Externalizing Behaviors in Children with ASD
Early parenting discipline techniques influence the presence of externalizing behaviors in children (Hektner et al., 2014). In at-risk populations, inconsistent parental discipline contributes to disruptive behavior and problems with emotion regulation in children. Research has demonstrated that behavior problems are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Boonen et al., 2014). Children with ASD display more severe externalizing behaviors when parents express greater criticism and hostility in parenting (Bader & Barry, 2014). Parenting techniques focusing on the emotions associated with children’s externalizing behaviors can increase behavioral compliance and decrease externalizing behaviors in ASD (Buckley, Ente & Ruef, 2014), however, emotion-specific parenting behaviors have yet to be explored (Maljaars et al., 2014).
Objectives:
The current study sought to explore the relations among inconsistent discipline, parent acceptance of their child’s emotions, and externalizing behaviors in young children with ASD.
Methods:
Participants included 25 children diagnosed with ASD (3:0-6:11 years) and their parents. Parents completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd Ed (BASC-2) Parent Report form to assess child’s externalizing behaviors, the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) to assess consistency with discipline, and the Meta-Emotion Interview to assess level of acceptance of child’s emotions.
Results:
Preliminary correlational analyses found that gender correlated with parent acceptance of child’s emotions (r = .45, p = .02) and it was entered as a control variable.
A moderational analysis using Model 1 in PROCESS (Hayes, 2013) was run to examine the conditional effects of inconsistent parenting on children’s externalizing behaviors at levels of parental acceptance of their child’s emotions. Results indicated the main effect of both inconsistent parenting (B = 20.97, SE = 5.52, t = 3.80, p < .001) and parental acceptance (B = 3.94, SE = 1.47, t = 2.68, p = .01) significantly predicted children’s levels of externalizing problems. We examined the cross-product term of inconsistent parenting and low, mean, and high levels of parental acceptance. The interaction between inconsistent discipline and externalizing behavior was significant at low (B = 3.35, SE = .70, t = 4.82, p = .001) and mean (B = 1.56, SE = .49, t = 3.19, p = .004) levels of parental acceptance but non-significant at high levels parental acceptance (B = -.23, SE = .72, t = -.33, p = .75). Our findings indicated that high levels of parental acceptance of a child’s emotions buffered children from increased rates of externalizing problems regardless of inconsistent discipline style.
Conclusions:
These results support previous research suggesting early parenting techniques can affect externalizing behaviors in children (Hektner, et al., 2014). Our study elucidates the buffering effects of parental acceptance of child’s emotions on externalizing behaviors in ASD, even in the presence of inconsistent discipline style. Research investigating parenting styles in ASD is needed to better understand parenting techniques and behavioral outcomes in ASD.