Psychology Commons^™

Parenting Style And Relational Aggression: The Moderating Role Of Physiological Reactivity, Maria Lent

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Low levels of physiological arousal in response to stress (e.g., low skin conductance level reactivity; SCLR) have long been conceptualized as a marker of fearlessness and a risk factor for physical aggression (e.g., hitting). Less is known, however, about how individual differences in children’s SCLR and early caregiving experiences interact to produce aggressive behavior. Preliminary evidence suggests that children with low SCLR may be at an increased risk of aggression in the context of highly negative or low positive parenting. Additionally, although most early parenting socialization research has focused on physical aggression, mounting evidence implicates parenting style in the development …