Alexandra N. Davis

Behaving badly or goodly: is it because I feel guilty, shameful, or sympathetic? Or is it a matter of what I think?

The article provides a brief review of theory and research on the roles of guilt, shame, and sympathy in predicting moral behaviors. Two models are presented and contrasted. The guilt-based model proposes that guilt and shame jointly predict prosocial and aggressive behaviors. In contrast, the sympathy-based model suggests that perspective taking and sympathy are linked to such behaviors. In both models, prosocial moral reasoning is proposed as a possible mediator in these relations. Results from a study of college students suggest support for both models. Moreover, there is evidence that prosocial moral reasoning mediates the relations between these moral emotions and moral behaviors. The implications for the need to incorporate moral emotions and cognitions into existing models of morality are discussed and emphasized.

Co-parenting and feeding in early childhood: Reflections of parent dyads on how they manage the developmental stages of feeding over the first three years

Family-level influences on the development of healthy eating behaviors start in infancy and toddlerhood with how families manage developmental stages of feeding. Little research on home feeding environments for young children has examined how mothers and fathers collaborate around feeding issues or contribute jointly to feeding. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine co-parenting with regard to infant/toddler feeding practices. Twenty-four sets of co-resident, biological parents with a child between 6 months and 3 years were interviewed together about their feeding practices and how they discussed and collaborated on feeding during the main stages of feeding development in the first three years. Analyses illuminate themes related to how specific domains of co-parenting (satisfaction with labor, support, agreement, conflict) factor into infant and toddler feeding as well as how additional factors such as having older children and employment schedules shape how both food parenting practices and co-parenting are managed in relation to feeding. Mothers were the primary managers of feeding labor. Fathers participated in feeding in different ways and levels starting in infancy and increased involvement in feeding over the first few years requiring an ongoing negotiation around co-parenting related to feeding. Overall, this study develops insights into how multiple caregivers construct a family environment specifically related to early feeding - a perspective missing from current conceptualizations of home feeding environment. Attention to the concept of co-parenting within home feeding environments should help inform more effective approaches to intervene with families on issues around childhood obesity and family health.

The Effects of Perceptions of Parents’ Use of Social and Material Rewards on Prosocial Behaviors in Spanish and U.S. Youth:

We examined the links between perceived parental use of social and material rewards and prosocial behaviors across youth from two countries. Six hundred forty adolescents (297 girls; X ¯ age = 15.32 years) from Valencia, Spain, and 552 adolescents (321 girls; X ¯ age = 13.38 years) from the United States completed measures of their perceptions of parental use of rewards, prosocial behaviors, and empathy. Results generally showed that perceived use of social rewards was directly and indirectly positively related to prosocial behaviors via empathic tendencies. In contrast, perceived use of material rewards was directly and indirectly negatively related to prosocial behaviors via empathic tendencies. There were significant differences such that material rewards had relatively more significant relations to prosocial behaviors in U.S. youth than in Spanish youth. Discussion focuses on the generalizability of parenting and prosocial development models across cultures and the relative links of social versus material rewards to prosocial behaviors.

Influences on Infant Feeding: Perceptions of Mother-Father Parent Dyads

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine interrelational-, organizational-, and community-level influences on how coparents collaborate about infant and toddler feeding. Study Design and Sample: Using qualitative methods, we interviewed mother–father parent dyads to explore the potential influences on infant and toddler feeding. Participants were purposively recruited from two Midwest, rural, university-system pediatric clinics. Thematic analysis was used to code the data. Measures: Mother–father dyadic interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview schedule. Twenty-four mother–father dyads who had a child between the ages of 6 and 36 months were interviewed together. Results: Major themes include interpersonal factors (peer behavior reinforcement, dyad and important others infant feeding conflict, conflict resolution proactiveness), organizational factors (healthcare provider infant-feeding support, workplace flexibility), and community factors (public perception on breastfeeding and social media influence). Clinical Implications: Community-based collaboration can be a platform for mother–father dyads, researchers, public health nurses, and other healthcare providers to proactively create interventions that include opportunity for building coparenting skills and infant-feeding knowledge that promote team management of common early childhood feeding challenges.

The Roles of Familism and Emotion Reappraisal in the Relations Between Acculturative Stress and Prosocial Behaviors in Latino/a College Students.

Researchers have demonstrated mixed associations between acculturative stress and prosocial behaviors (actions intended to benefit others) among Latino/a adolescents and emerging adults. The current study aimed to examine the relations between acculturative stress and Latino/a young adults’ prosocial behaviors via familism values and emotion reappraisal. Participants were 1,527 Latino/a college students (Mage = 20.35 years, SD = 3.88; 75.2% women) from universities across the United States. The results demonstrated direct and indirect links between acculturative stress and prosocial behaviors. Specifically, acculturative stress was positively related to familism values, which in turn were positively associated with multiple forms of prosocial behaviors. Additionally, emotion reappraisal was positively associated with specific forms of prosocial behaviors. There was also evidence that familism and emotion reappraisals moderated the associations between acculturative stress and specific forms of prosocial behaviors. Discussion focuses on the interplay of culture-related and emotion-regulation processes associated with Latino/a young adults’ positive social outcomes. Investigadores han demostrado relaciones mixtas entre estrés de aculturación y comportamientos prosociales (acciones que benefician a otros) en adolecentes y adultos jóvenes Latino/as. Esta investigación examino las relaciones entre estrés de aculturación y comportamientos prosociales de parte de valores de la familia y reevaluaciones de emociones. Los sujetos eran 1,527 estudiantes universitarios de patrimonio Latino/a (M edad = 20.35 años, SD = 3.88; 75.2% mujeres) en universidades en los Estados Unidos. Los resultados demostraron asociaciones directas y indirectas entre estrés de aculturación y comportamientos prosociales. Específicamente, estrés de aculturación estaba asociado positivamente con varias formas de comportamientos prosociales. Además, reevaluaciones de emociones estaba relacionado positivamente con especificas formas de comportamientos prosociales. Había también evidencia que valores de la familia y reevaluaciones de emociones moderaron las asociaciones entre estrés de aculturación y especificas formas de comportamientos prosociales. La discusión se enfoca en la interacción de procesos culturales y regulación de emociones asociadas con los éxitos sociales positivos en adultos jóvenes Latino/as.