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August 19, 2026Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

Bidirectional Associations Between Parenting and Irritability in Early Childhood: Multi-Method Evidence

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Authors

JSJamilah SilverRLRebecca LaptookLDLea Dougherty

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Overview

Longitudinal cohort study reveals asymmetrical bidirectional associations between parenting and child irritability from ages 3 to 6, suggesting early irritability strongly shapes caregiving behaviors.

Key Points

  • To examine reciprocal transactional associations between parenting practices and child irritability from ages 3 to 6 while controlling for parental psychopathology and child sex.
  • Followed a longitudinal cohort of N=609 children (54.5% male; 79.5% White, non-Hispanic) from age 3 to age 6.
  • Assessed child irritability via the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment, observed parenting behaviors during standardized Teaching Tasks, and measured parent-reported styles using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire.
  • Modeled directional effects over time using cross-lagged panel models adjusted for child sex and parental lifetime mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
  • Higher child irritability at age 3 predicted lower observed parental support, higher observed hostility, poorer dyadic relationship quality, and increased mother-reported authoritarian parenting at age 6.
  • Parent-to-child effects were more constrained, with lower observed relationship quality and higher father-reported permissive parenting at age 3 predicting increased child irritability at age 6.

Cite This Study

Silver et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8563d703308d306e2d746ahttps://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2026.2711209
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Developmental trajectories of irritability during the transition to adolescence: Examining caregiver and youth perspectives and sex differences2025
  2. 2Irritability in preschool children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Analysis of family environmental factors2026
  3. 3Bidirectional association between irritability and executive function in youth from late childhood to early adolescence: Between‐ and within‐person effects2026
  4. 4What I see, what you say: How cross‐method variation sharpens characterization of irritability in early childhood2024 · 1 citations
  5. 5Parenting practices and child irritability across diverse racial–ethnic backgrounds: A temporal network analysis2026