Introduction :

1. Perceived Parenting and Anxiety: The Moderating Role of Effortful ControlErin N. Stevens,Nicole J. Holmberg, Christine R. Keeports, M. C. Lovejoy, & Laura D. Pittman Northern Illinois University Results: Introduction: • Several risk factors have been identified related to the development of anxiety pathology including genetic, temperamental, cognitive, learning, and parenting factors (Vasey & Dadds, 2001). • With regards to parenting factors, negative parenting in particular has been implicated in the development of anxiety (i.e., parenting characterized by overprotection, intrusiveness, rejection, and/or control; Rapee, 1997). • However, there is a lack of research examining how this relationship may be influenced by individual difference factors, such as temperament. • One potential temperamental factor to consider is effortful control (EC; the ability to inhibit a dominant response, plan, and detect errors; Rothbart & Bates, 2006). • EC is negatively correlated with anxiety (Moriya & Tanno, 2008). • It also plays a role in the regulation of emotions (Spinrad et al., 2007). • Prior studies with child samples provide disparate findings: • Kiff and colleagues (2011) found a significant interaction effect between negative parenting and EC in a sample of 8- to 12-year-old children. • Morris et al. (2002) found that parenting and EC did not interact to predict internalizing problems in 7-year old children. • Hypotheses: • Parenting factors and EC will be directly associated with anxiety. • EC will function as a moderator for the relation between negative parenting behaviors (i.e., overprotection, rejection) and anxiety, such that the relationship will be significant only for those with relatively lower levels of EC. • Means, standard deviations, and bivariate correlations were calculated for variables of interest (see Table 1). • Four hierarchical regressions were conducted to examine the moderating role of EC in the relationship between each perceived parenting behavior and anxiety symptoms (see Table 2). • Simple slopes analyses: • There was a significant positive association between parental overprotection and anxiety symptoms for individuals who had relatively lower levels of EC (β = .27, p < .01), such that those who reported higher overprotection endorsed greater anxiety symptoms • For individuals with relatively higher levels of EC, there was not a significant association between overprotection and anxiety symptoms (β = -.04, ns) • The trend between parental rejection and EC evidenced the same pattern: a significant positive association between rejection and anxiety for those with relatively lower levels of EC (β = .28, p < .01), but not for those with relatively higher levels of EC (β = -.03, ns) Figures. Illustration of Significant Interactions Method: conclusions: • Participants & Procedure: • Undergraduate college students: N = 162 • Agerange = 18-31 years (M= 19.7 years, SD= 2.06; 52% female) • Ethnicity: 59% White, 20% Black/African American, 12% Hispanic/Latino(a), 6% Asian American, 2% Biracial, 3% other/unspecified • Participants completed a battery of questionnaires assessing parenting behaviors, regulative temperament, and anxiety symptoms. • Measures: • Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU; Arrindell et al. 1983): A 64-item self-report measure which assesses four dimensions of parenting behavior, two of which are typically conceptualized as more positive parenting behaviors (i.e., Emotional Warmth and Favoring Subject), and two of which are typically conceptualized as more negative parenting behaviors (i.e., Rejection and Overprotection; α = .70-.93) • Adult Temperament Questionnaire, short form (ATQ; Evans and Rothbart 2007): Only the effortful control (EC) was used in the current study. The EC scale contains 19 items which assess individuals’ ability to focus and shift attention, suppress inappropriate behavior, and perform actions when there is a strong tendency to avoid them (α = .70). • Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck et al. 1988):A 21-item self-report measure that assesses typical features of anxiety that have occurred within the past week (α = .91). • Our results suggest a buffering effect of EC on anxiety pathology among individuals who are exposed to higher levels of negative parenting (i.e., parental overprotection and parental rejection), such that exposure to negative parenting behaviors is associated with anxiety pathology only in individuals who lack a requisite level of EC. • The moderating effect of EC: • Higher levels of EC may act as a protective factor in the development of anxiety by allowing individuals to modulate or regulate the negative emotions that result from early childhood experiences, and specifically, negative parenting. • Deficits in EC, however, may reduce the likelihood for individuals to effectively modulate negative affective responses to negative parenting, thereby increasing the risk for anxiety pathology. • Stability throughout adolescent development: • These patterns which emerge in childhood (e.g., Kiff et al. 2011) appear to continue into early adulthood, thus underscoring the potential impact and stability of these associations throughout development. • Implications for intervention: • Interventions designed to target EC be useful for mitigating the effects of negative parenting by helping individuals improve their ability to modulate or regulate emotions. • For example, computerized interventions designed to modify attention have been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety pathology in children and adults (i.e., cognitive bias modification for attentional selectivity [CBM-A]; MacLeod and Mathews 2012), and have also been shown produce beneficial effects on other executive processes (e.g., EC). Correspondence concerning this poster should be directed to: Erin N. Stevens, M.A., Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, estevens@niu.edu