Citation

Muñoz JM, Braza P, Carreras R, Braza F, Azurmendi A, Pascual-Sagastizabal E, Cardas J, Sanchez-Martin JR. Front. Psychol. 2017; 8: e391.

Affiliation

Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country San Sebastian, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00391

PMID

28377733

PMCID

PMC5359225

Abstract

A maternal authoritarian style has been related to the development of physical aggression during childhood and later future social problems; however, not too many studies have detected other than individual or family factors that may buffer this maternal effect. This work examines whether daycare center attendance may moderate the relationships between a mother authoritarian style and physical aggression. The study sample was 72 (40 girls) kindergarten children from Spain. Parents were asked to complete two questionnaires focused on individual family characteristics and parenting styles. At age 5, children physical aggression was assessed by direct observation at playtime; aggression scores at 6 was obtained by a peer-rated questionnaire. A least squared multiple regression was performed after controlling for children's level of physical aggression at 5, child sex and siblings. A positive contribution of maternal authoritarian style on physical aggression was detected. Daycare center attendance appears to attenuate the effect of the mother's authoritarian style on physical aggression, only in boys.

Language: en

Keywords

daycare center attendance; kindergarten; mother authoritarian style; physical aggression; sex differences