Morrongiello Barbara A, McArthur Brae Anne, Spence Jeffrey R
Psychology Department, University of Guelph.
Health Psychol. 2016 Jun;35(6):523-30. doi: 10.1037/hea0000275. Epub 2015 Sep 7.
The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine gender differences in children's hazard-directed behaviors when the parent was absent and determine whether parent reactions when present differentially influences boys' and girls' subsequent behaviors.
Children and parents were video recorded in their home when a contrived burn hazard ('Gadget') was within view and reach of the child and the parent was sometimes present and absent. Videos were coded for teaching- and discipline-focused reactions by parents when children approached the Gadget in the parent's presence and children's hazard-directed behaviors when the parent was absent. Data were gathered monthly for a period of up to 6 months.
Multilevel regression analyses examining temporal relationships between parents' reactions (teaching, discipline) and children's hazard-directed behaviors when the parent was absent revealed significant gender differences. For boys, reductions in hazard-directed behaviors over time were predicted from high teaching or low discipline reactions, with low teaching and high discipline reactions maintaining injury-risk behaviors over time. For girls, reductions in hazard-directed behaviors over time were predicted from low teaching or high discipline reactions, with high teaching and low discipline reactions maintaining injury-risk behaviors over time.
To moderate young boys' injury-risk behaviors, caregivers should avoid frequent discipline-focused reactions in favor of frequent teaching when the child engages in injury-risk behaviors. For girls, however, frequent discipline-focused reactions reduced injury-risk behaviors over time more effectively than frequent teaching-focused reactions that sustained girls' interest in the hazard. Implications for injury prevention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
这项纵向研究的目的是考察父母不在场时儿童危险指向行为的性别差异，并确定父母在场时的反应是否会对男孩和女孩随后的行为产生不同影响。
当一个人为制造的烧伤危险物（“小工具”）在儿童视线范围内且儿童能够触及，且父母有时在场有时不在场时，对儿童及其父母在其家中进行录像。对录像进行编码，记录父母在孩子接近危险物时以教导和纪律为重点的反应，以及父母不在场时孩子的危险指向行为。数据每月收集一次，为期长达6个月。
多层次回归分析考察了父母的反应（教导、纪律）与父母不在场时儿童危险指向行为之间的时间关系，结果显示存在显著的性别差异。对于男孩来说，随着时间的推移，危险指向行为的减少是由高教导或低纪律反应预测的，而低教导和高纪律反应则会随着时间的推移维持伤害风险行为。对于女孩来说，随着时间的推移，危险指向行为的减少是由低教导或高纪律反应预测的，而高教导和低纪律反应则会随着时间的推移维持伤害风险行为。
为了缓和年幼男孩的伤害风险行为，照顾者在孩子从事伤害风险行为时，应避免频繁的以纪律为重点的反应，而应倾向于频繁的教导。然而，对于女孩来说，随着时间的推移，频繁的以纪律为重点的反应比频繁的以教导为重点的反应更有效地减少了伤害风险行为，因为后者维持了女孩对危险的兴趣。文中讨论了对伤害预防的启示。（PsycINFO数据库记录）
