Verbal and nonverbal communication in at-risk mother-child dyads: Implications for relationship quality and developing positive social behaviours in middle-childhood

Abstract

Factors that promote healthy relationships have been understudied. The objective of this study is to examine mother–child verbal and nonverbal communication (separately), relationship quality and children's positive social behaviours in an at-risk sample framed within the developmental psychopathology approach. Mothers are part of a 35-year longitudinal prospective study who, as children, were rated by peers on measures of aggression and social withdrawal. These mothers, with their own 9- to 13-year-old children, participated in conflict and game-playing tasks. Verbal and nonverbal communication were coded separately using systematic observational measures. Maternal childhood histories of aggression and withdrawal predicted poorer dyad verbal communication, relationship quality and children's positive social behaviours. Frequently displayed positive verbal and nonverbal communication were associated with better relationship quality and children's positive social behaviours. The results highlight the unique contributions of verbal and nonverbal communication to adaptive development and to promoting healthy relationships in at-risk families during middle-childhood.

Keywords::

• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• At-risk families
• Mother–child interactions
• Healthy relationships

This work was partially supported by grants from Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FRQSC) [grant numbers 164393 and 125058], the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [grant numbers 410-2002-1279, 410-2007-1178, and 410-2010-752], and Child & Youth Mental Health and Well-being (Health Canada) [grant number 6070-10-5/9515]. The Concordia Project originated in 1976 under the direction of Jane Ledingham and Alex E. Schwartzman. The intergenerational project is currently directed by Lisa A. Serbin, Dale M. Stack, and Alex E. Schwartzman. We extend our gratitude to Nadine Girouard, Jesse Burns, and Julie Coutya for their help with coding and Joelle Bélisle-Cuillerier for her help with manuscript preparation. We also wish to thank Claude Senneville and the Concordia Project team for their assistance in data collection and analysis. Finally, we are most indebted to the participants in the study.