AbstractsPsychology

The purpose of this study was to examine a biopsychosocial model of parenting difficulties (e.g., low warmth, intrusiveness) associated with maternal depressive symptoms in the context of child temperament. Specifically, moderated mediation models examined indicators of emotion regulation (i.e., mothers’ reported experiential avoidance [EA] and their frontal EEG asymmetry) as mediators of the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and their parenting behavior, with children’s negative emotionality (NE) as a moderator. The sample included 111 24-month-old toddlers and their mothers who participated in a laboratory visit and questionnaire completion. A few weeks following the laboratory visit, mothers completed an EEG visit. Results indicated that maternal depressive symptoms related to intrusiveness (but not warmth) through parenting-specific EA when maternal report of toddlers’ NE was high. Additionally, relative left EEG frontal asymmetry predicted higher warmth (and relative right frontal asymmetry predicted lower warmth) when toddlers’ NE was high. However, broad EA and EEG asymmetry did not serve as mediators in the relation between mothers’ depressive symptoms and their parenting behavior. Results help create a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the parenting difficulties of mothers with depressive symptoms, and has the potential to influence how mothers’ depressive symptoms are incorporated into prevention and intervention targeted at children at risk of developing similar internalizing problems. Advisors/Committee Members: Kiel, Elizabeth (Advisor).