Leah Beel
Research Mentor(s): Sarah Clark
Mentor Department: Pediatrics
Authors: Leah Beel, Sara Schultz, Susan Woolford, Acham Gebremariam, Sarah Clark
Session: Session 6 (3:00pm – 3:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 16
Abstract
Parenting styles and discipline strategies play a critical role in early childhood development. Discipline refers to methods parents use to guide behavior, ranging from reasoning and reinforcement to more direct measures like spanking or time-outs. Previous research suggests that lower-income families may rely more on immediate and direct disciplinary measures, such as physical punishment, due to factors like increased stress and limited resources (Gershoff et al, 2012; Pinderhughes et al., 2000). Additionally, low-income parents may perceive non-physical punishments as less effective than alternative methods (Duong et al., 2021). In contrast, higher-income families are more likely to use reasoning-based or privilege-based techniques (Pinderhughes et al., 2000). While the relationship between income and discipline strategies has been widely studied, less is known about how perceived effectiveness and consistency of discipline vary across income levels. This study examines how household income affects parental discipline, focusing on discipline techniques and their perceived effectiveness and consistency. Using data from the National Poll on Children’s Health at UM Mott Hospital, we analyzed a nationally representative sample of 725 parents of children aged 1-5, categorizing responses into three income brackets: low (<$50,000), medium ($50,000-99,999), and high (=$100,000). Parents reported on discipline strategies and threats they have used, effectiveness, consistency, and factors that make consistency difficult. In this study, we found that across all income groups, giving warnings, speaking firmly, and redirection were the most commonly used discipline strategies. The least common strategies were using bribes and spanking. However, using bribes and spanking were the only strategies with differences in income, with lower-income parents were more likely to report them. Additionally, lower- and middle-income parents reported higher perceived effectiveness and consistency in their discipline methods. Parents across all income levels noted challenges in maintaining consistency often citing their child’s young age or the perceived ineffectiveness of certain strategies. This study provides insights into the factors shaping parenting decisions and perceptions across income groups. Our results confirm prior studies that lower-income families are more likely to use spanking and bribery. These results add that lower- and middle-income families are more likely to report higher consistency and effectiveness in their discipline, which may be influenced by differing parents’ expectations and approaches that reinforce their beliefs. Understanding these differences can help inform efforts to support discipline approaches that align with parents’ needs and challenges across income levels.
