EFFECTS OF MATERNAL DISTRACTION AND REPRIMANDS ON TODDLERS TRANSGRESSIONS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT

Misbehaviors occur at a high rate during the toddler years, and parent s use a variety of methods to control these behaviors. The present inv estigation compared the effectiveness of two commonly used strategies, distraction and reprimands. Twenty mothers and their 17- to 39-month- old children were observed in a laboratory setting in which mothers us ed either distraction then reprimands or reprimands followed by distra ction in response to their children's transgressions. When reprimands were used as the initial strategy, they were significantly more effect ive than distraction in controlling children's transgressions. Distrac tion was effective in maintaining low rates of transgression when prec eded by a period of reprimands. However, when reprimands were institut ed following a period of distraction, children's rates of negative aff ect increased significantly. Implications for the etiology and managem ent of child behavior problems are discussed.