Jill K. Walls

Parenting Style as a Moderator of Associations Between Maternal Disciplinary Strategies and Child Well-Being

The authors investigate whether parental use of punitive discipline and yielding to coercion varies in levels and associated child outcomes for mothers with different parenting styles. Participants were fourth-grade children (N = 370) and their mothers. Maternal parenting style was determined based on levels of responsiveness and demandingness. Authoritative mothers used less punitive discipline than indifferent mothers. Authoritative and authoritarian mothers engaged in less yielding to coercion than indifferent or indulgent mothers. More punitive discipline and yielding to coercion were associated with lower academic grades and more punitive discipline was associated with more social problems, with these effects not moderated by parenting style. Negative effects of yielding to coercion in terms of internalizing, externalizing, and social problems were observed only within authoritarian families. Greater use of punitive discipline was associated with more externalizing problems within the indulgent and authoritarian parenting style groups and more internalizing problems within the authoritarian group.

Characteristics of Mother-Provider Interactions Surrounding Postpartum Return to Work

Background: Many mothers with infants work full-time, yet little is known about communication between women and health care providers regarding returning to work (RTW). Methods: Survey data were obtained from a community-based sample of mothers returning to full-time employment within 4 months postpartum. Bivariate analyses (χ2 and independent sample t tests) and multivariate logistic regressions were specified. Results: Eighty-three percent of mothers believed prenatal providers should discuss RTW, yet only 60% had such a discussion; 58% discussed RTW with their infants’ provider. Black women (odds ratio, 2.6) and women in poverty (odds ratio, 3.6) more often reported having an RTW discussion with a prenatal provider whereas mothers with college degrees or higher (odds ratio, 2.7) more often had RTW discussions with their infants provider. RTW discussions occurred ≤3 times and were felt to be only somewhat useful. RTW discussions infrequently centered on maternal health (19.5%) or infant health or development (35.5%). Conclusions: Women want providers to initiate RTW discussions. Providers should be aware that race, poverty status, and level of maternal education impact a mothers odds of having an RTW discussion. Additional research is required to further delineate the content of RTW discussions and to determine the clinical value of RTW discussions.

Intensive Mothering Beliefs Among Full-Time Employed Mothers of Infants

This study examined the degree to which 205 full-time employed mothers of infants endorsed intensive mothering beliefs (IMB), the stability of IMB, and contextual correlates of IMB. Results suggested that full-time employed mothers in this study did not endorse IMB, on average, but that endorsement varied for specific domains of IMB for the total sample and by mothers’ education. Global IMB scores did not change from 4 to 16 months postpartum, with the exception of single mothers whose scores declined over time. Endorsement of IMB was associated with multiple socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and endorsement of IMB also varied based on unique intersections of race, education, and marital status.

Exploring Family-Oriented Markers of Adulthood: Political and Personal Variations Among Emerging Adults

Previous studies have demonstrated a propensity for many emerging adults to minimize traditional indicators of adulthood, such as marriage and parenting. Beliefs about marriage and family are often ideological, especially within a contemporary, pluralistic society in which marriage and family have undergone significant transformations. The purpose of the current study was to investigate variation in how family-oriented roles and abilities were perceived as criteria for adulthood in a sample of emerging adult college students from several college campuses (N = 651). An emphasis of the investigation was on possible associations with political ideology and factors related to identity and day-to-day intentions. A cluster analysis approach was used to identify four groups of individuals based on the importance they assigned to the markers. Multivariate analysis of covariance results revealed multiple differences among the cluster groups as they related to other markers of adulthood, political tendencies, and variables related to day-to-day intentions and well-being.

A focus group study of African American students’ experiences with classroom discussions about race at a predominantly White university

ABSTRACT Past research has drawn attention to the unique challenges for students of color attending predominantly white colleges and universities, yet few have focused on the classroom as a micro-context in which race-related discussions often occur. Using a focus group methodology, 22 African American undergraduate students from a variety of academic programs shared their past experiences with classroom discussions about race. Thematic analyses revealed that African American students’ cognitive and emotional responses to race-focused discussions in the classroom were uniquely shaped by the broader context of attending a predominantly White university situated in a Midwestern region of the United States. Students’ responses gave insights into the strategies that minority students use to navigate race-focused discussions in class and the impact that those strategies have on their class participation. The implications of our results for students and faculty, particularly those situated on predominantly White campuses, are discussed.