Perceived Parenting Style and Self-Perception in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

INT.J.PSYCHOL.RES. 2015; 8 (1): 61-74 Perceived Parenting Style and Self-Perception in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Estilos Parentales Percibidos y Autopercepción en Niños con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad Research Maria Fernanda Molina a b a, b, * , National Research Council Scientific and Technical CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Research Institute School of Psychology UBA, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. ARTICLE INFO Article history: ABSTRACT Background: there is a growing interest in the study of the self-perceptions of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the bias in their self-concept. Goal: to explore how ADHD children’s perception of parenting style predicts their selfperception and the bias in self-concept. Method: Participants: children between 7 and 13 years old diagnosed with ADHD, children assisting to psychotherapy without an ADHD diagnose, and children not assisting to psychotherapy. It also participated one of their parents. Data analysis: It was used simple logistic regressions. Groups were studied separately. Results: maternal pathological control was the main predictor of ADHD children’s positive self-perceptions and bias. In the comparison groups it predicts negative self-perceptions. Results are discussed in the light of self-protection hypothesis. Received: 18-07-2014 Revised: 18-09-2014 Accepted: 19-12-2014 Key words: attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Parenting styles, Selfperceptions, Selfconcept. RESUMEN Antecedentes: existe un creciente interés en el estudio de las autopercepciones y el sesgo vinculado a ellas en los niños con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad (TDAH). Objetivo: explorar cómo los estilos parentales percibidos por los niños con TDAH predicen sus autopercepciones y su sesgo. Método: Participantes: niños de entre 7 y 13 años diagnosticados con TDAH, niños que asisten a psicoterapia pero no tienen un diagnóstico de TDAH y niños que no asisten a psicoterapia. También participó uno de los padres de estos niños. Análisis de datos: Se realizaron regresiones logísticas simples. Los grupos se estudiaron por separado. Resultados: el control patológico materno fue el principal predictor de las autopercepciones positivas y el sesgo positivo en niños con TDAH. En el grupo de comparación dicha forma de control predijo autopercepciones negativas. Los resultados se discuten en el marco de la hipótesis de autoprotección. Palabras clave: trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad, estilos parentales, autopercepciones, autoconcepto. *Corresponding author: María Fernanda Molina, Dirección postal: Gral. Juan Lavalle 2353. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C.A.B.A.), Argentina. (C.P.: C1052AAA).Email address: . ISSN printed 2011-2084 ISSN electronic 2011-2079 61 RESEARCH Perceiving Parental Style and ADHD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH negative outcomes such as behavioral problems (e.g. Hoza, Murray-close, Arnold, & Hinshaw, 2010) and lack of social abilities (e.g. Linnea, Hoza, Tomb, & Kaiser, 2012). These findings show the importance of studying the factors that could reduce the bias. Although self-knowledge is the result of the interaction of numerous factors (see Swann & Bosson, 2010 for a review), different theoretical perspectives agree that self-concept is socially constructed (Owens, T. J., 2006; Oyserman, Elmore, & Smith, 2012). In this sense, the influence of families and parent-child relationships is central (Harter, 1999). ADHD biological bases are widely recognized (e.g. Biederman, 2005), but it is important to make progress identifying the psychosocial and contextual factors involved in this disorder. ADHD occurs in a social context in which the relationship with family and, particularly, with the parents has a fundamental role (Roselló, García-Castellar, Tárraga-Mínguez, & Mulas, 2003). The above poses the question about how parenting style may impact on ADHD children’s selfperceptions. To our knowledge, there are few studies that addressed this issue in ADHD children. Results show that affectionate maternal attitudes were a significant predictor of global self-esteem in Korean ADHD children (Oh, Park, Suk, Song, & Im, 2012). Regarding the origin of PIB in ADHD children, there are four hypotheses: the cognitive immaturity hypothesis, the ignorance of incompetence hypothesis, the anosognosia hypothesis, and the selfprotection hypothesis. Up to this moment, it is the latter the one with the greater empirical support. According to this hypothesis, these children show a facade of confidence to others as a way to protect themselves against failure and cope with new challenges (J. S. Owens et al., 2007). One of the core findings within this hypothesis is that ADHD children can give a more accurate selfevaluation when they receive a positive feedback from their environment. In laboratory studies, it was found that children with ADHD who received positive feedback by research assistants could make a more accurate assessment of their behavior than children who did not receive feedback (Diener & Milich, 1997; Ohan & Johnston, 2002). Also, after a negative interaction with another child, ADHD children overestimated their behavior to a greater extent (Hoza, Waschbusch, Pelham, Molina, & Milich, 2000). Based on these findings, it is interesting to study the effect of feedback given by parents in uncontrolled interactions. According to this hypothesis, parent-child interactions characterized by warmth and low levels of criticism would be related to a lower PIB in ADHD children because the need to protect their 1. INTRODUCTION Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity more severe and more frequently displayed than what is expected for the stage of development at which it presents (American Psychiatric Association, 2002). This disorder is one of the most frequent in childhood (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000). These children usually present a wide range of difficulties, associated with the disorder, in the cognitive, interpersonal, affective, and behavioral domains (Owens, J. S, Goldfine, Evangelista, Hoza, & Kaiser, 2007). The high vulnerability associated to ADHD justifies the study of the factors that could buffer the negative impact of its core symptoms in children’s functioning. Self-perceptions have a great importance on people’s lives. They organize data from the environment affecting experiences' interpretation, influencing emotions and motivation and, therefore, guiding people's behaviors (e.g. Oyserman, 2001; Swann, Chang-Schneider, & Larsen McClarty, 2007). In recent years, studies that show the strong impact of ADHD children's self-perceptions in their development and psychosocial adjustment have emerged. For example, a positive self-perception of academic competencies in childhood predicts a lowe (...truncated)