Cumulative Risk, Parental Emotional Expressivity, And Parental Secure Base As Predictors Of Children's Social Competence

CUMULATIVE RISK, PARENTAL EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIVITY, ANDPARENTAL SECURE BASE AS PREDICTORS OF CHILDREN’S SOCIALCOMPETENCEbyCAITLIN MARIE MCLEARMay 2013Advisor: Dr. Christopher J. TrentacostaMajor: Psychology (Clinical)Degree: Master of ArtsThere is substantial evidence in the literature focusing on the effects a child’s socialcompetence can have on future school success (Bulotsky-Shearer, Dominguez, Bell, Rouse, &Fantuzzo, 2010; Krishnakumar & Black, 2002; Foster, Lambert, Abbott-Shim, McCarty, &Franze, 2005). However, less research has been conducted specifically on the effects of exposureto risk on a child’s social competence, and which factors may protect them from the negativeeffects of the presence of various risk factors. The purpose of the current study was to investigatethe extent to which the accumulation of contextual risk factors influences social competence, androle that parent and family relationship factors play in predicting social competence andattenuating the relationship between cumulative contextual risk and low social competence. Itwas expected that higher levels of risk would predict lower social competence and that greater attachment security and positive parental emotional expressivity would predict higher socialcompetence. Additionally, it was expected that attachment security and positive parental emotional expressivity would moderate the relationship between cumulative risk and socialcompetence.