Honors Theses

Affiliation

College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Psychology

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Major

Psychology

Document Type

Immediate Open Access

Abstract

Current literature supports parenting practices and the quality of child-caregiver attachments are correlated with child externalizing behavior. However, these results typically come from samples of biological parents and their children. It is unknown if parenting practices (i.e. poor supervision, inconsistent discipline, and positive parenting) predict attachment and externalizing behavior among children of grandparents and foster parents. Previous studies have also found
that attachment mediates the relation between parenting practices and externalizing behavior among children raised by biological parents. This study aims to determine if similar relations will be found among grandchildren and foster children and if the level of attachment reported by both grandparents and foster parents will moderate the relation between parenting practices and child externalizing behavior. Data was gathered from 428 grandparents and foster parents raising children via Qualtrics online survey. Participants completed surveys assessing parenting practices, attachment, and child externalizing behaviors. To analyze the data, correlations,
independent t-tests, and moderation analyses were conducted using SPSS’ Process Macro v.4.2. Positive parenting was negatively correlated with externalizing behavior while poor supervision, inconsistent discipline, and level of attachment were positively correlated with externalizing behavior. Attachment was only found to significantly moderate the relation between poor supervision and externalizing behavior when examining grandparents and foster parents together. Grandparents and foster parents struggling with children exhibiting externalizing behavior would potentially benefit from attachment- and parent-based interventions designed towards nonparental caregivers.

Date Defended

12-4-2024

Thesis Director

Danielle K. Nadorff Ph.D.

Second Committee Member

Arazais Oliveros Ph.D.

Third Committee Member

Anastasia Elder Ph.D.

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