Social problem-solving in high-risk mother-child dyads : an intergenerational study

A key component of socio-emotional and cognitive development is the capacity to effectively resolve day-to-day social problems. Parents play a vital role in fostering children's problem-solving skills. The present study examined the contribution of maternal childhood histories of aggression and social withdrawal to the prediction of mother-child problem definition, solution generation and decision-making strategies. Mothers from a longitudinal study of children from disadvantaged neighbourhoods participated with their 9- to 12-year-old children. Mothers were screened during childhood along measures of aggression and withdrawal. Dyads (57) were videotaped in their homes discussing conflicts which they rated as especially problematic in their relationship. Problem defining statements, solutions, and resolution strategies were coded using the Mother-Child Social Problem-Solving Coding Scheme. Results supported the hypotheses that maternal childhood histories of aggression and withdrawal contribute to the prediction of poorly sophisticated solutions generated by both mothers and children, as well as antisocial solutions generated by children. Results also demonstrated that maternal childhood histories of withdrawal contribute to the prediction of solitary solutions generated by children as well as less guidance and structure during the decision-making stage. Taken together, the results lend support to the continuity of risk whereby mothers who were socially withdrawn, and those who were both aggressive and withdrawn in childhood, display less sophisticated problem-solving strategies which appear to be mirrored in their children. The results broaden current understanding of mother-child problem-solving abilities in a high-risk, intergenerational sample of children in middle childhood, and highlight a potential pathway to the direct transmission of risk