Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers

The ability to adapt interpersonal interactions to temperamental characteristics is essential for high-quality care. We analyzed how temperamental and self-regulation differences among children in residential care were related to the affective relationships and discipline styles of their caregivers....

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Main Authors: Sabina D. Gaitán, Joanna Fernández-Sánchez, Francisco Javier Fernández-Baena, Agustín Wallace, María D. Salas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/12/1239
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author Sabina D. Gaitán
Joanna Fernández-Sánchez
Francisco Javier Fernández-Baena
Agustín Wallace
María D. Salas
author_facet Sabina D. Gaitán
Joanna Fernández-Sánchez
Francisco Javier Fernández-Baena
Agustín Wallace
María D. Salas
author_sort Sabina D. Gaitán
collection DOAJ
description The ability to adapt interpersonal interactions to temperamental characteristics is essential for high-quality care. We analyzed how temperamental and self-regulation differences among children in residential care were related to the affective relationships and discipline styles of their caregivers. A total of 144 children aged 9–16 years (42.6% boys) and their caregivers from 22 residential care homes (Spain) participated. The Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R) was used to assess temperament, the Affect Scale and Rules and Demands Scale was used to assess children’s perceptions of affective relationships and discipline styles among their caregivers, and BRIEF-2 was used to assess children’s self-regulation. Perceived warmth/communication was significantly higher than criticism/rejection and children perceived more inductive than rigid or permissive styles. Temperamental-scale fear was positively related to warmth/communication and an inductive style, and negatively related to criticism/rejection and a rigid style, whereas high-intensity pleasure showed the opposite pattern. In addition, some self-regulation and temperament scales explained 26% of the perception of warmth/communication, while others explained 15% of the variability of the rigid discipline style used by care workers. These results can help care workers to adjust their educational strategies according to the temperamental characteristics of this specific population.
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spelling doaj-art-26a6ed7b5a0448a9a67afbedbe6f5bbd2025-08-20T02:00:56ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-12-011412123910.3390/bs14121239Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care WorkersSabina D. Gaitán0Joanna Fernández-Sánchez1Francisco Javier Fernández-Baena2Agustín Wallace3María D. Salas4Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, SpainDepartamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, SpainThe ability to adapt interpersonal interactions to temperamental characteristics is essential for high-quality care. We analyzed how temperamental and self-regulation differences among children in residential care were related to the affective relationships and discipline styles of their caregivers. A total of 144 children aged 9–16 years (42.6% boys) and their caregivers from 22 residential care homes (Spain) participated. The Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R) was used to assess temperament, the Affect Scale and Rules and Demands Scale was used to assess children’s perceptions of affective relationships and discipline styles among their caregivers, and BRIEF-2 was used to assess children’s self-regulation. Perceived warmth/communication was significantly higher than criticism/rejection and children perceived more inductive than rigid or permissive styles. Temperamental-scale fear was positively related to warmth/communication and an inductive style, and negatively related to criticism/rejection and a rigid style, whereas high-intensity pleasure showed the opposite pattern. In addition, some self-regulation and temperament scales explained 26% of the perception of warmth/communication, while others explained 15% of the variability of the rigid discipline style used by care workers. These results can help care workers to adjust their educational strategies according to the temperamental characteristics of this specific population.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/12/1239temperamentresidential careacceptancerejectionstyle of discipline
spellingShingle Sabina D. Gaitán
Joanna Fernández-Sánchez
Francisco Javier Fernández-Baena
Agustín Wallace
María D. Salas
Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers
Behavioral Sciences
temperament
residential care
acceptance
rejection
style of discipline
title Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers
title_full Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers
title_fullStr Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers
title_full_unstemmed Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers
title_short Temperament Characteristics of Children in Residential Care and Perceived Acceptance/Rejection and Style of Discipline Used by Care Workers
title_sort temperament characteristics of children in residential care and perceived acceptance rejection and style of discipline used by care workers
topic temperament
residential care
acceptance
rejection
style of discipline
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/12/1239
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AT franciscojavierfernandezbaena temperamentcharacteristicsofchildreninresidentialcareandperceivedacceptancerejectionandstyleofdisciplineusedbycareworkers
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