| The present study examined differences in the rate and quality of parent-child communication in parents of socially anxious and normal children. Participants were 15 socially anxious and 15 control children (mean age = 11.9 years) and their parents. Children were screened for social anxiety with the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C). A cut-off score of 29 and above was used for inclusion in the socially anxious group, scores below 15 were used for the control group. Children were videotaped with their parents completing a puzzle task under three conditions, mother with child, father with child, and mother and father with child. Videotapes were coded for six types of verbalizations; commands, explanations, negative feedback, positive feedback, questions and suggestions. Significant differences were found in parents between groups for frequency of total verbalizations as well as frequency using fewer total verbalizations, less positive feedback and of types of verbalizations, with parents of anxious children more negative feedback than control group parents. There were no differences observed in the three observation conditions. Like their parents, socially anxious children engaged in fewer total verbalizations, and used more negative feedback and less positive feedback than control group children. Sequential analyses revealed that parents and children in the control group displayed similar patterns of communication in that they showed a strong tendency to mirror the quality of the other's verbalizations (positive feedback followed positive feedback, neutral verbalizations followed neutral verbalizations). Socially anxious children, like the control group children, tended to mirror the verbalizations of their parents. In contrast, parents of socially anxious children did not show the same similarities in responsiveness. Most notable was their tendency to respond to their child's positive verbalizations with neutral statements rather than positive statements. These differences are discussed in relation to social learning theory, parenting styles as described by Baumrind, and parental responsiveness as described by Wahler. The relevance of this information for the study of parent-child relationships and social anxiety in children are presented. |