The Relationship Between Parental Perceptions of Child Vulnerability and Child Anxiety

Year

2010

Season

Spring

Paper Type

Master's Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Arts in General Psychology (MAGP)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chairperson

Dr. Brian Fisak

Second Advisor

Dr. Randall Russac

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the importance of family history, environment, and parent behaviors in the development of child anxiety disorders. It does not appear, however, that researchers have considered many cognitive risk factors in relation to child anxiety. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between a cognitive risk variable (i.e. parental perceptions of child vulnerability) and child anxiety disorders. This study also examined the relationship between two common parent behaviors (i.e. overprotection and modeling of anxiety) and child anxiety. Significant relationships between parental perceptions of child vulnerability and parent and child anxiety were found. Parental perception of child vulnerability was found to partially mediate the relationship between parent and child anxiety. In addition, the relationship between overprotection and parental perception of child vulnerability was also found to be significant. Lastly, parental perception of child vulnerability was not found to be significantly related to modeling of anxiety. These findings lend promise to the possibility of modifying parents’ perceptions of child vulnerability as a way to modify their children’s psychological functioning.

This paper is not available digitally at this time. Please contact the library for assistance.

Share

COinS
 

Accessibility Statement

This item was created or digitized before April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy material created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the Library provides accessible versions of archival materials by request. If you are experiencing difficulty accessing the information on the site due to a disability, please submit a request through the following form for assistance.