Youth Personality Factors as Predictors of Risky All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Driving Behaviors.

Children and youth account for a disproportionately high number of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) related injuries and deaths. This study explored whether and how youth personality factors such as sensation seeking (including thrill seeking and behavioral intensity) and youth safety consciousness predict risky A TV riding behaviors. Survey information was collected from farm families in Georgia having youth who were active on farms. Data were analyzed from 104 youth between the ages 10 through 14 years who were active users ofATVs. Boys and girls had similar exposure to ATVs. Risky ATV riding behaviors were associated with age but not with gender. Boys and girls were equally likely to drive adult-sized ATVs, drive ATVs on public roads, drive ATVs fast, and carry extra passengers on single-seat ATVs. Boys had higher scores than girls on personality factors like thrill seeking and behavioral intensity. Hierarchical regression revealed that although there were multiple determinants of risky ATV riding behaviors of youth, thrill seeking appeared to be an important factor, which was moderated by safety consciousness. Youth who are low in thrill seeking and have a high level of safety consciousness reported less risky ATV riding behaviors. High thrill seekers were more likely to report indulging in risky ATV riding behaviors regardless of their level of safety consciousness. Our results suggest that personality traits (such as sensation seeking) of the target population should be considered when developing ATV safety interventions, as these traits will likely influence an intervention's level of success. Low thrill seekers would be prime candidates for safety training, as an increase in their safety consciousness may be more likely to result in decreased risky riding behaviors. High thrill seekers may be less amenable to training and will more likely require interventions external to the individual, including legislation, improved ATV safety design, use of crush protection devices, and safe riding rules monitored and strictly enforced by parents.

Examining the Down syndrome advantage: mothers and fathers of young children with disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Across studies and across outcomes, parents of children with Down syndrome have been found to experience greater well-being than parents of children with other intellectual disabilities (ID). This study examined the extent to which differences in family income and child temperamental difficulty can explain why parents of children with Down syndrome experience greater well-being. METHOD: Fifty married couples who were parents of young children with ID completed a set of questionnaires measuring child temperament, parent satisfaction with social support, depression and parenting beliefs. Parents were observed interacting with their children. RESULTS: When groups were compared without consideration of demographic differences, the findings generally replicated the Down syndrome advantage found by other researchers. After variance attributable to income was removed, however, the Down syndrome advantage disappeared for all parenting and parent wellness measures. The effects of child temperament were confined to maternal and paternal depression. CONCLUSIONS: Family income was more important than child etiology in predicting the parent measures used in the study.

Supporting positive sibling relationships during childhood.

This paper reviews the research literature focusing on the interpersonal relationships between siblings when one child has a disability. Descriptive findings are presented that compare and contrast sibling warmth and positivity, engagement, and conflict in sibling pairs with and without a child with a disability. The social roles assumed by siblings are examined, as are developmental changes in role relationships. Research on the development of the sibling relationship in the family context is reviewed, as are findings concerning the effects of parent differential attention on the quality of the sibling relationship. MRDD Research Reviews 7:134-142, 2001.

Reactions to prenatal testing: reflection of religiosity and attitudes toward abortion and people with disabilities.

To better understand factors associated with prenatal testing decisions, we asked individuals what they would do if through prenatal testing they discovered that they (or their partner) were carrying an affected fetus. Respondents were more uncertain about whether to continue the pregnancy when the fetus was diagnosed as having Down syndrome than when the fetus had spina bifida or hemophilia and less certain about continuing a fetus with spina bifida than one with hemophilia. There was modest support for the hypothesis that negative attitudes toward people with disabilities would be associated with an increased likelihood of choosing abortion. Religious affiliation was associated only with the decision concerning the fetus with hemophilia; church attendance was associated with the decisions concerning fetuses with all three diagnoses.

Effects of residential instability on Head Start children and their relationships with older siblings: influences of child emotionality and conflict between family caregivers.

This study examined the influence that residential dislocations have on child behavior problems, depression, peer competence, cognitive competence, and the quality of sibling relations in a sample of 70 Head Start children, aged 32 to 67 months, and their older brothers and sisters, aged 48 to 155 months. This was the first study to investigate the sibling relationship in the context of high residential mobility. Information on child characteristics was obtained from mothers and teachers. Sibling data (warmth/harmony and conflict) were obtained from coding videotaped interactions. Child emotionality was found to be an important moderator of the effects of residential mobility on young, poor children and their siblings; caregiver conflict was a less powerful moderator of these effects. Residential instability seemed to compromise the warmth/harmony of the sibling relationship. It was concluded that the effects of residential instability are complex and cannot be understood without considering child characteristics, such as temperament, and the family context in which the child lives.

Family predictors of maternal and paternal involvement in programs for young children with disabilities.

The study of family variables has become increasingly critical in understanding outcomes typically considered program driven. Research linking family variables to parental involvement in early intervention programs for young children with disabilities is generally lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine the combined influence and predictive ability of family characteristics on maternal and paternal involvement in early intervention programs. Service providers rated mothers' and fathers' involvement in early intervention programs. Mothers and fathers completed a battery of self-report questionnaires related to a variety of constructs, such as family functioning, marital adjustment, social supports, stress, coping, and parental involvement. Structural equation modeling was used to test the predictive ability of family variables. Two different models were developed for mothers and fathers. Results indicated significant outcomes for both groups, largely supporting the proposed model. The coping variable emerged as a significant predictor of maternal and paternal involvement as well as a mediator variable between family functioning and parental involvement.

Parent-child relationships, family problems-solving behavior, and sibling relationship quality: the moderating role of sibling temperaments.

In this study we sought to determine whether sibling temperaments moderated the associations of parent-child relationship quality and family problem-solving behavior with sibling relationship quality. Observational assessments of mother-child and father-child relationship quality, family problem-solving behavior, and sibling relationship quality were obtained from the families of 49 pairs of brothers and 46 pairs of sisters. Mean ages were 10-2 for older siblings and 7-6 for younger siblings. Parent-reported child temperament assessments were also obtained. The links among mother-older child relationship quality, father-older child relationship quality, and sibling relationship quality were moderated by the older sibling's temperament. The younger and older siblings' temperaments moderated the associations between the quality of the father-younger sibling and sibling relationships. The association between family problem-solving behavior and sibling relationship quality was not moderated by sibling temperaments.

Forecasting sibling relationships in early adolescence from child temperaments and family processes in middle childhood.

We developed a model to account for variation in the quality of sibling relationships across a 4-year span from middle childhood to early adolescence. We tested this model on a sample of 71 families, in which older siblings' ages ranged from 6 to 11 years, and those of younger siblings ranged from 4 to 9 years. We also assessed continuity and discontinuity over time in sibling relationship quality. The descriptive analyses revealed an increase of negative sibling relationship qualities and a decrease in positive qualities. The hypothesized paths involving children's temperaments, interparental conflict, positivity in parent-child relationships, and differential negativity in parent-sibling relationships were supported, accounting for 27% to 34% of the variation in sibling relationship quality.

Financial resources, parent psychological functioning, parent co-caregiving, and early adolescent competence in rural two-parent African-American families.

We proposed a family process model that links family financial resources to academic competence and socioemotional adjustment during early adolescence. The sample included 90 9-12-year old African-American youths and their married parents who lived in the rural South. The theoretical constructs in the model were measured via a multimethod, multi-informant design. Rural African-American community members participated in the development of the self-report instruments and observational research methods. The results largely supported the hypotheses. Lack of family financial resources led to greater depression and less optimism in mothers and fathers, which in turn were linked with co-caregiving support and conflict. The associations among the co-caregiving processes and youth academic and socioemotional competence were mediated by the development of youth self-regulations. Disruptions in parental co-caregiving interfered with the development of self-regulation. This interference negatively influenced youths' academic competence and socioemotional adjustment.

Sibling temperaments, conflict, warmth, and role asymmetry.

The association between sibling temperament combinations (activity and adaptability) and qualitative aspects of the sibling relationship were examined, including in-home observations of sibling positivity/warmth, negativity/conflict, social engagement, and role asymmetry and older sibling perceptions of warmth/closeness, conflict, and status/power. The sample consisted of 67 same-gender, school-aged sibling pairs. Highest levels of negativity/conflict occurred when both siblings were high in activity and when the older sibling was rated as more active than the younger. Conflict was lowest when both siblings were low in activity. Warmth/positivity was greatest when both children were similar in activity level. Siblings were more socially engaged when the older sibling was more adaptable than the younger. Perceived status/power was greatest when younger siblings were low in adaptability. When between-temperament-dimension relationships were examined, observed conflict was greatest when older siblings were high in activity and younger siblings were nonadaptable. Gender and age-related findings are also reported. Findings highlight the importance of identifying the complex ways in which varying dimensions of sibling temperaments combine to influence specific aspects of the sibling relationship.

Contemporaneous and longitudinal associations of sibling conflict with family relationship assessments and family discussions about sibling problems.

The first purpose of this study was to examine contemporaneous and longitudinal associations of maternal and paternal measures of family functioning with observational and self-report assessments of sibling conflict. The second purpose was to determine whether the ways in which families attempt to solve siblings' problems are associated with contemporaneous and longitudinal assessment of sibling conflict. The results indicate that paternal equality of treatment and family harmony during family discussions about sibling problems, as well as parents' perceptions of family cohesiveness, are associated with lower sibling conflict levels.

Associations of maternal and paternal direct and differential behavior with sibling relationships: contemporaneous and longitudinal analyses.

In this study we examined associations of 4 paternal direct and differential behaviors with concurrent and longitudinal assessments of sibling relationships, as well as the unique contributions of mothers' and fathers' behavior to the sibling relationship variables. Observational assessments of maternal and paternal direct and differential behavior, as well as observational and self-report assessments of sibling relationship quality, were obtained. Only one difference emerged between rates of maternal and paternal behavior toward the children; however, paternal behavior accounted for unique variance in sibling relationship quality more often than did maternal behavior. The results are discussed in terms of relative parental availability.

Observations of the role relations and behavior between older children with mental retardation and their younger siblings.

Children with mental retardation and their younger siblings without retardation were observed interacting in three naturally occurring in-home contexts (toy play, television viewing, and snack). Comparison siblings without retardation who were matched on age, sex, race, parental marital status, education, and family income were also observed. Interactions between children with retardation and their siblings were characterized by accentuated role asymmetries that favored the younger siblings, whereas the older siblings were dominant in the comparison group. No differences in affect were found between the sibling groups. The competence of the child with mental retardation reliably predicted sibling role asymmetries, and the observational contexts influenced sibling behavior in both groups. Gender differences in roles and behavior were minimal.

Ascribed role relations between children with mental retardation and their younger siblings.

Ascribed, parent-mediated childcare roles of younger same-sex siblings of children with mental retardation were compared to roles assumed by a matched group of comparison siblings. Role reversals were evident for younger siblings of children with mental retardation. These reversals were consistent with roles assumed by the siblings during observed interactions. Increased younger sibling childcare roles were related to less conflicted sibling relationships but were not predictive of friendship or socialization experiences of younger siblings. Younger siblings of children with mental retardation had fewer household chores than did comparison agemates. Children with mental retardation had fewer friendship contacts and out-of-home activities than did their peers without mental retardation. Important within-group differences were evident.

Cognitive play of mentally retarded preschoolers: observations in the home and school.

A within-subjects design was used to examine the cognitive play of 12 mainstreamed mentally retarded preschool boys during group free-play at school and in an independent play situation at home. Children played with available toys at school and with three designated toy sets at home. Cognitive and communicative abilities were established through administration of the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Children not only played more in the home condition, but this play was more sophisticated than that in the school condition. Increased differences between home and school performance were positively associated with expressive communicative developmental age. Peak play did not differ between the two settings. Children not only sequenced play activities more at home, but these sequences were longer and more complex than those at school.

Assessing individual differences: effects of responding to prior questionnaires on the substantive and psychometric properties of self-esteem and depression assessments.

It has become a common practice among psychological researchers to administer batteries of individual difference assessments to research participants, although little is known about whether the substantive and psychometric integrity of the questionnaires are maintained when they are administered after the subject has completed other instruments. The studies presented here consider these issues in relation to the assessment of self-esteem and depression. In the first study, college students responded to a self-esteem inventory (a) by itself (control group), (b) after one prior questionnaire, (c) after three prior questionnaires, or (d) after five prior questionnaires. Results indicated that filling out one or more questionnaires before an assessment of self-esteem resulted in reports of lower self-esteem relative to the control condition. Additional analyses revealed that filling out three or five prior questionnaires created lower reliabilities of subscale scores and lower estimates of concurrent validity between self-esteem and depression. When the effect of prior questionnaires on the General Self-Esteem subscale was examined, the aforementioned results were replicated, and the prior questionnaire treatment created heterogeneous variances across the experimental groups. The second study was designed as a replication of the first study, using an assessment of depression as the target questionnaire. These results revealed that reports of depressive symptomatology increased as the number of prior questionnaires increased. Again, the prior questionnaire treatment created heterogeneity of variance between the groups, but did not adversely affect its internal consistency.

Mentally retarded individuals in family care homes: relationships with the family-of-origin.

Family involvement with mentally retarded individuals living in family care was studied. A sample of 104 home providers completed a set of questionnaires focusing on family visitation, client trips home, and other forms of family contact. When combined predictors of family visitation were examined, the three variables contributing unique variance were the participation of family in placement, the provider's encouragement of involvement, and the living status of the father. Family involvement correlates of client and home provider characteristics, distance from the care home, and care home size were presented. Important support roles played by siblings, particularly for older residents, were discussed as were the impacts of family involvement on home provider stress. Descriptive information on family involvement across the lifespan was presented.

Comparison groups in research on families with mentally retarded members: a methodological and conceptual review.

A review and critique of the use of comparison groups in mental retardation family research was provided. Issues addressed include matching on age versus competency of the mentally retarded family member, description of comparison groups in published research, demographic equivalence of groups, matching strategies, populations from which samples were drawn, appropriateness of tasks/instruments across groups, and the role of theory in comparison group selection. Unique concerns relating to sibling research and studies of mentally retarded parents were discussed. Caution was expressed concerning the translation of comparison research findings into intervention targets for families with mentally retarded members. Alternatives to comparison group designs were presented as well as recommendations for selecting and describing comparison samples.

Friendship patterns and community integration of family care residents.

Friendship patterns and community integration of mentally retarded persons living in family care homes were examined. A sample of 104 home providers completed a set of questionnaires which provided information on demographic characteristics, client maladaptive behavior, climate of the home, amount and variety of participation in community environments, and number and frequency of visitations with friends. Family care home residents were reported to have both handicapped and nonhandicapped friends and to participate in numerous community environments. Other evidence, however, raised questions about the selection of friendships and the independence of community integration. Correlates of community participation and friendship visits were examined. Results are discussed in terms of possible implications for family care services.