Thesis
The relation of ASD symptom severity and typically-developing sibling behaviors through parental expressed emotion: Affiliate stigma as a moderator
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
05/2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004113
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124978
Abstract
Caregivers of children with ASD experience greater stress, psychopathology, and social isolation than caregivers of typically-developing (TD) children or those with other disorders. They also may be more likely to experience expressed emotion (EE), which is characterized by criticism/hostility and emotional overinvolvement toward their child, as well as affiliate stigma (e.g., marginalization, devaluation, discrimination), as a result of having a child with ASD. TD siblings of children with ASD often experience more negative functioning than siblings of individuals without a developmental disorder, particularly in the presence of certain moderators or mediators. The current study examined ASD symptom severity, parental affiliate stigma (affective, behavioral, and cognitive), parental expressed emotion (criticism and emotional overinvolvement), and TD sibling behaviors (externalizing and internalizing) using a moderated mediation model. Data from a larger completed study was used that included 120 caregivers of a child with ASD, with 55 of the caregivers also having at least one TD child. Caregivers completed a demographic questionnaire and measures assessing their own affiliate stigma and EE as well as ASD symptom severity of their child with ASD and behavior of their TD child. It was hypothesized that ASD symptom severity would be positively correlated with parental EE and with TD sibling externalizing and internalizing behaviors and that affiliate stigma would be positively correlated with EE. These hypotheses were supported. It was also hypothesized that affiliate stigma would exacerbate the relation between ASD symptoms severity and parental EE. This hypothesis was not supported. It was expected that ASD symptom severity would relate to TD sibling externalizing and internalizing behaviors through parental EE and that the magnitude of this mediation would depend on levels of affiliate stigma. These hypotheses were not supported. Findings from this study may increase understanding of factors that affect psychosocial functioning in families with children with ASD and TD children to allow clinicians to improve outcomes for all family members. Limitations of the current study included self-report data, limited diversity in the sample, and the use of cross-sectional data. Future research will help further understand how affiliate stigma and expressed emotion affect families of children with ASD.
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Details
- Title
- The relation of ASD symptom severity and typically-developing sibling behaviors through parental expressed emotion
- Creators
- Aurora H. Brinkman
- Contributors
- Tammy Michele DeShazo Barry (Advisor) - Washington State University, Graduate School
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900890785201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis