Abstract

Psychosocial risk factors such as poverty and adversity negatively impact parent-child interactions, which are foundational for children’s socio-emotional development. Parenting stress and need for support, common in at-risk environments, also affect these interactions and have been linked to higher rates of externalizing behaviours in children. This study examined co-regulation, a dynamic process through which parent and child mutually influence each other’s emotions, cognitions, and behaviours, in psychosocially at-risk mother-child dyads. Participants were 111 mother-child dyads from the Concordia Longitudinal Research Project. Dyads were observed during three tasks: a puzzle task, a compliance-based command task, and an interference task simulating maternal unavailability. Five types of co-regulation from the Revised Relational Coding System were coded: symmetrical, unilateral, unengaged, asymmetrical, and disruptive. It was found that dyads engaged in more symmetrical co-regulation during the puzzle and command tasks, and more unengaged and unilateral co-regulation during the interference task. Moreover, more time spent in symmetrical co-regulation during the puzzle task was associated with greater externalizing behaviours in children. In contrast, more unilateral co-regulation was associated with fewer externalizing behaviours in middle childhood. Maternal parenting stress was also a predictor of behavioural problems. Findings highlight the context-dependent nature of co-regulation; dyads engaged in different types of co-regulation depending on the task. Further, in at-risk dyads, symmetrical co-regulation may reflect mutual dysregulation, rather than adaptive coordination, while disengagement may be protective. Results have implications for promoting adaptive dyadic regulation in at-risk families through parenting interventions and prevention programs.