Article 2b: Parents’ experiences of childhood abuse and neglect are differentially associated with behavioural and autonomic responses to their offspring (Buisman et al., 2019)

Question 1

Design of the study

Answer 1

• Questionnaires: parents with a history of childhood maltreatment filled in questionnaires about their own behavioural responses to their child.
• Physiological responses: were measured in the parents during a conflict situation with their child.

Question 2

Results:

Answer 2

Parents with a history of childhood maltreatment showed:
- More negative behaviours towards their children (more hostility, less emotional support) during conflict interactions.
- Altered sympathetic and parasympathetic responses.
- Lower quality of parent-child interactions.

Question 3

Abuse- and neglect-specific results

Answer 3

• Abused parents: showed more behavioural responses (less emotional support, more hostility).
• Neglected parents: showed more autonomic responses (increased physiological stress).