Lind, Teresa2018-02-192018-02-192017http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/23035Early experiences of adversity and maltreatment are linked to later difficulties with emotion regulation. This study sought to examine the role of early risk and parent-child mutual positive affect in influencing children’s later emotion regulation, as well the effects of a preventative intervention, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) on these capabilities. Parent-child dyads referred to Child Protective Services (CPS) due to concerns of maltreatment were randomly assigned to ABC or a control intervention when children were infants, and a follow-up assessments measured parent-child mutual positive affect at 24 months old and child emotion regulation at 8 years old. Risk indices were developed across three domains: child, parent, and instability, and for two developmental periods: 0-24 months old and 8-10 years old. Results showed that parent-child dyads randomly assigned to ABC displayed a significantly higher percentage of mutual positive affect at 24 months old, compared with parent-child dyads assigned to DEF, controlling for risk. At the 8-year-old follow-up, no significant intervention effects were found for child emotion regulation. However, early parent-child mutual positive affect at 24 months old was linked to later child positive emotion regulation at 8 years old, controlling for early and concurrent risk. In addition, early parent risk at 24 months old was found to play a significant role in predicting later child emotion lability/negativity at 8 years old, controlling for concurrent parent risk. These findings highlight the importance of early parent risk and parent-child mutual positive affect for the development of later emotion regulation skills, and the role that early intervention can play in enhancing early parent-child mutual positive affect.PsychologyChild maltreatmentEarly interventionEmotion regulationThesis1023576256https://doi.org/10.58088/jk9g-1x972017-11-10en