Does parental warmth protect children against parental harshness? An experience sampling study of disruptive child behavior.

Authors

Merlin Nieterau, Geertjan Overbeek, Erika Lunkenheimer, Alithe van den Akker, Patty Leijten

Published in

Child development. Jul 31, 2026. Epub Jul 31, 2026.

Abstract

This study examined whether parental warmth protects against the effects of parental harshness on disruptive child behavior. Between Spring 2023 and Summer 2024, community sample parents (N = 205; 93% were Dutch) of children (Mage = 5.84 years, 53% girls) reported up to 6 times a day for 12 consecutive days on parental harshness, warmth, and disruptive child behavior. Momentary increases in parental harshness and decreases in warmth predicted more subsequent disruptive child behavior. Overall levels of warmth did not buffer the effects of momentary parental harshness on disruptive child behavior. Findings suggest that moment-to-moment fluctuations in parenting can immediately influence child behavior, thereby providing support for parenting programs aiming to increase warmth as well as reduce harshness.

PMID:
42536050
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 31 Jul 2026.

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