The relation between mothers' hostile attribution tendencies and children's externalizing behavior problems: The mediating role of mothers' harsh discipline practices

This study examined relations among mothers' hostile attribution tendencies regarding their children's ambiguous problem behaviors, mothers' harsh dis cipline practices, and children's externalizing behavior problems. A commun ity sample of 277 families (19% minority representation) living in three ge ographic regions of the United States was followed for over 4 years. Mother s' hostile attribution tendencies were assessed during the summer prior to children's entry into kindergarten through their responses to written vigne ttes. Mothers' harsh discipline practices were assessed concurrently throug h ratings by interviewers and reports by spouses. Children's externalizing behavior problems were assessed concurrently through written questionnaires by mothers and fathers and in the spring of kindergarten and first, second , and third grades through reports by teachers and peer sociometric nominat ions. Results of structural equations models demonstrated that mothers' hos tile attribution tendencies predicted children's future externalizing behav ior problems at school and that a large proportion of this relation was med iated by mothers' harsh discipline practices. These results remained virtua lly unchanged when controlling for initial levels of children's prekinderga rten externalizing behavior problems at home.