Mother-child bidirectional influences in the development of concern for others: Disentangling positive parenting in two predominantly white, North American Samples

Mother's positive parenting predicts children's development of concern for others; however, it is unclear which distinct positive parenting behaviors contribute to children's concern for others. We examined the bidirectional associations between mothers' warmth and reasoning and children's concern toward an adult in distress at 4 and 6 years. We tested these associations in two independent samples with parallel methods, a U.S. community sample (Study 1, N = 83, 44% female, 73.6% White, median income range = $75,000-$90,000 USD) and a Canadian sample at risk for externalizing problems (Study 2, N = 98, 50% female, 82.7% White, median income range = $70,000-$80,000 CND). Child gender and externalizing problems were examined as moderators of these bidirectional socialization processes. In Study 1, a cross-lagged model (CLM) found that maternal warmth positively predicted children's concern for others over 2 years, whereas children's concern for others inversely predicted future maternal reasoning. Multigroup comparisons found these lagged effects were unique to boys only. Study 2 partially replicated Study 1, revealing fully bidirectional socialization effects unique to boys. Maternal reasoning positively predicted the development of boys' concern for others over 2 years, and boys' greater concern for others at age 4 elicited greater maternal reasoning over 2 years. Maternal warmth positively predicted concern for others only for children with elevated externalizing problems. These findings support a differentiated approach to positive parenting research, revealing that distinct parenting behaviors may meet individual child needs uniquely.