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Research Project
Children?s Obesity Risk: The Role of Attachment, Temperament and Self-Regulation
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Caregivers’ responses to children’s negative emotions: Associations with preschoolers’ executive functioning
Publication . Fernandes, C.; Santos, A. F.; Fernandes, M.; Veríssimo, Manuela; Santos, António J.
There is a lack of knowledge regarding the connection between parental emotional responsiveness and children’s executive functioning (EF). This study aimed to explore the relations
between caregivers’ reactions to their children’s distress and children’s EF. Mothers of 136 preschoolers reported their reactions to their children’s negative emotions using the Coping with Children’s
Negative Emotions Scale. Children’s EF was assessed through the mothers and teachers’ reports
using the Behavioral Inventory of Executive Functioning for Preschool Children. Results showed
that the mothers’ perceived use of negative emotional regulation responses (i.e., punitive and minimizing reactions) was associated with lower levels of EF in children, as reported by both mothers
and teachers. The association between the mothers’ use of positive emotional regulation responses
(i.e., problem-focused, emotion-focused, and expressive encouragement reactions) and children’s EF
was not significant. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the mothers’ use of negative emotional
regulation responses accounted for significant proportions of variance in EF indexes. These findings
suggest that parental socialization of emotion could be important for children’s EF. Specifically,
caregivers’ negative emotional regulation responses to children’s distress may serve as a risk factor
for poorer EF in children. Efforts to improve children’s EF may be more effective when parental
emotional responsiveness to their distress is considered.
Associations between emotion regulation, feeding practices, and preschoolers’ food consumption
Publication . Santos, A. F.; Fernandes, Carla; Fernandes, M.; Santos, António J.; Veríssimo, Manuela
: Previous research identified emotion dysregulation, non-responsive feeding practices, and
unhealthy food consumption as risk factors for childhood obesity. However, little is known about the
relationships between these factors. This study examined associations between children’s emotion
regulation, parental feeding practices, and children’s food consumption. The sample consisted of
163 mothers of children aged 3–5 years. Mothers completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist,
the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and the Child Health Section from the Parent Interview of the
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-B to assess model variables. Results showed that healthy
food consumption was associated with higher emotion regulation abilities, higher monitoring, and
lower pressure to eat. For unhealthy food consumption, the associations were in opposite directions.
Higher emotion regulation abilities were also associated with higher monitoring, lower pressure
to eat, and lower restriction. For lability, the associations were in opposite directions. Regression
analyses revealed that children’s lability, pressure to eat, and monitoring were significant predictors of
children’s food consumption. These findings suggest that children’s emotion regulation and feeding
practices are important determinants of children’s food consumption. Future longitudinal studies that
examine bidirectional associations between children’s emotion regulation, parental feeding practices,
children’s food consumption, and potential mechanisms accounting for these associations are needed.
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Funders
Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
3599-PPCDT
Funding Award Number
PTDC/PSI-GER/29636/2017