COMMUNICATION OF AFFECT WITH "ABUSE-ELICITING" CHILDREN

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The proposed research extends a transactional model of family interaction to include an integrative analysis of mediating processes. Our ongoing research has focused upon child elicitors and attributional moderators of caregiver affect and behavior in physically abusive caregiving systems. In a refinement of the model, characteristics of abused children are conceptualized as potential stressors. Adults with low perceived control over caregiving outcomes are predicted to show an emotional coping style and elevated arousal in response to abused children (and behaviors more common for them than non-abused children); this adult response pattern is in turn expected to lead to negative affect, performance deterioration, and elevated arousal in the child. Conversely, adults with high perceived control over caregiving outcomes are predicted to show problem-focused, cognitively-oriented coping (and low arousal) in response to abused children; this adult response pattern is in turn expected to elicit more positive affect, higher performance levels, and lower arousal levels in the child. The data base will be drawn from both (a) laboratory analog studies which introduce variables simulating the characteristics of abusive family systems, and (b) interactions within actual abusive families. In Study 1, 120 mothers will be shown videotapes of abused children or their non-abused siblings, and will then engage in simulated interaction with them (teaching the child a video game). Continuous records will be made of their affect (facial actions and voice prosodics), spontaneous cognitions, teaching strategies, and physiological responses (heart rate, pulse transit time, blood pressure, and skin conductance). In Study 2, 120 children will attempt to learn a video game in response to videotapes of adults and teaching strategies used by adults in Study 1. Continuous records will be made of their affect, arousal, and performance levels in response to variations in "teacher" inputs. In Study 3, the voice characteristics of parents in abusive families (obtained in ongoing research) as well as related adults in actual or simulated interaction with abused children will be subjected to acoustical analysis. This analysis will allow us to determine the relation between acoustical features and measures of affect and arousal.