Can I Trust You? How Kindergarteners’ Oppositionality and ADHD Symptomatology are Related to Trust between Parents and Teachers

Abstract Prior research suggests that children’s oppositional behaviors, inattention, and hyperactivity/impulsivity may be associated with challenges in parent-teacher relationships. The present correlational study examined how children’s behaviors of oppositionality, inattention, and hyperactivity/impulsivity in kindergarteners are associated with trust between parents and teachers. Participants included parents and teachers of 168 kindergarteners (45% girls, 54 % boys). Teachers rated children’s behaviors while both parents and teachers rated their trust in one another during the spring of the children’s kindergarten year. Results indicated that children’s oppositional behaviors were associated with lower levels of parent trust of teachers. Inattention was significantly associated with teachers’ trust in parents, independent of oppositional behaviors. Specifically, higher levels of inattention were associated with lower levels of teachers’ trust in parents. However, neither inattention nor hyperactivity/impulsivity were significantly related to parents’ trust in teachers. These results suggest that parents and teachers may experience and interpret both child behavior and the relationship itself in distinct ways.