Jeffrey Liew | Texas A&M University (original) (raw)

Papers by Jeffrey Liew

Asian American Journal of Psychology, Sep 1, 2014

The present study challenges the popular notion that overly controlling or restrictive parenting ... more The present study challenges the popular notion that overly controlling or restrictive parenting is the primary pathway to academic achievement for Chinese Americans. Although traditional Chinese values require parents to make good choices for their children by supervising and asserting strict limits using guǎn (safeguarding) and jiào xun (demandingness of excellence), such parental duties do not preclude the use of autonomy support or noncoercive discipline to promote children's academic success. In this study, we examined the processes or mechanisms underlying the linkages between parental autonomy support, emotion-related self-regulation, adaptive skills, and academic achievement in 92 Chinese American adolescents (mean age ϭ 16 years, SD ϭ 1.4) and their first-generation immigrant parents. Study results indicate that parental autonomy support and emotion-related self-regulation are both promotive factors in adaptive and academic competencies. We propose that guǎn (管), or safeguarding, and jiào xun (教訓), or demandingness of excellence, represent parental strictness-supervision, which when counterbalanced by autonomy support, could be considered the yin and yang in parenting that promotes adolescents' academic success without harming their social-emotional or psychological well-being.

Wiley-Blackwell eBooks, Apr 21, 2009

Social Development, Oct 17, 2016

Research has demonstrated that emotions expressed in parent-child relationships are associated wi... more Research has demonstrated that emotions expressed in parent-child relationships are associated with children's school success. Yet the types of emotional expressions, and the mechanisms by which emotional expressions are linked with children's success in school, are unclear. In the present article, we focused on negative emotion reciprocity in parent-child interactions. Using structural equation modeling of data from 138 parent to child dyads [children's mean age at Time 1 (T1) was 13.44 years, SD 5 1.16], we tested children's negative emotionality (CNE) at T1 and low attention focusing (LAF) at Time 2 (T2) as sequential mediators in the relation between parent and child negative emotion reciprocity at T1 and children's grade point average (GPA) and inhibitory control at T2. Our findings supported an emotion-attention process model: parent-child negative emotion reciprocity at T1 predicted CNE at T1, which predicted children's LAF at T2, which was, in turn, related to low inhibitory control at T2. Findings regarding children's GPA were less conclusive but did suggest an overall association of negative reciprocity and the two mediators with children's GPA. Our findings are discussed in terms of emotion regulation processes in children from negatively reciprocating dyads, and the effects of these processes on children's ability to obtain and use skills needed for success in school.

Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, Aug 27, 2015

The extant research suggests bilingualism is associated with enhanced cognitive effects, most evi... more The extant research suggests bilingualism is associated with enhanced cognitive effects, most evident in attention and executive functioning (EF). The current study examined the contributions of balance in the bilingualism (Spanish–English) of children to performance-based measures and caregiver ratings of EF. Participants included 30 bilingual children. Balance in children's bilingualism was correlated with caregiver ratings of task initiation. After controlling for demographic variables, balance in bilingualism significantly accounted for 37% of the variance in ratings of children's task initiation. Additional research is needed regarding associations between dual-language exposure, linguistic competence, and cognitive development in children.

Learning and Individual Differences, Feb 1, 2017

In this study, we identied distinct clusters based on adolescents' relatedness with peers and tea... more In this study, we identied distinct clusters based on adolescents' relatedness with peers and teachers, and examined how students with different patterns or configurations of school-based relatedness qualities fare in their psychological and academic adjustment. A total of 1964 middle school students (M age = 15 years) participated in the study. We used latent profile analysis to identify meaningful patterns of peer and teacher relatedness and found that low feelings of relatedness with or responsiveness from the teacher do not necessarily result in poor school outcomes (low grades or low well-being) if students have at least moderate feelings of relatedness with their classmates. Results provide a better understanding of profiles of students who may be at risk for poor school adjustment, low grades, or school drop-out while offering a window into potential factors that protect or promote students' well-being and achievement.

Wiley-Blackwell eBooks, Apr 21, 2009

Developmental Psychology, 2012

The purpose of the current study was to predict the development of aggressive behavior from young... more The purpose of the current study was to predict the development of aggressive behavior from young children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and environmental quality. In a longitudinal sample of 213 children, baseline RSA, RSA suppression in response to a film of crying babies, and a composite measure of environmental quality (incorporating socioeconomic status and marital adjustment) were measured, and parent-reported aggression was assessed from 18 to 54 months of age. Predictions based on biological sensitivity-to-context/differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress models, as well as potential moderation by child sex, were examined. The interaction of baseline RSA with environmental quality predicted the development (slope) and 54month intercept of mothers' reports of aggression. For girls only, the interaction between baseline

Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Feb 1, 2011

Background: Schools often include running in their physical education and health curriculum to in... more Background: Schools often include running in their physical education and health curriculum to increase physical activity and reduce childhood overweight. But having students run around may not be enough to sustain physical activity habits if motivational factors are not well understood. This study examined effortful persistence as a predictor of running. Methods: Participants were 246 5th graders, and data on their demographic information, body mass index (BMI), effortful persistence, and time to complete a 1-mile run were collected across 4 years. Results: Between 5th to 8th grades, effortful persistence predicted time to complete a 1-mile run even when BMI was taken into account at every grade except for 7th grade. Rank-order stability was found in major variables across-time, but no across-time prediction was found for effortful persistence on a 1-mile run. Conclusions: Lack of longitudinal predictions bodes well for interventions aimed at increasing physical activity, because children or youth with high BMIs or low effortful persistence are not destined for future underachievement on physically challenging activities. Given the stability of variables, interventions that target fostering self-regulatory efficacy or effortful persistence may be particularly important for getting children on trajectories toward healthy and sustained levels of physical activity.

Developmental Psychology, 2014

We examined stability and change in prosocial moral reasoning (PRM) assessed longitudinally at ag... more We examined stability and change in prosocial moral reasoning (PRM) assessed longitudinally at ages 20/21, 22/23, 24/25, 26/27, and 31/32 years (N ϭ 32; 16 female) using a pencil-and-paper measure of moral reasoning and examined relations of PRM and prosocial behavior with one another and with empathy, sympathy measured with self-and friend reports in adulthood, self-and mother reports of prosocial tendencies in adolescence, and observed prosocial behavior in preschool. Proportions of different types of PRM (hedonistic, approval, stereotypic, internalized) exhibited high mean-level stability across early adulthood, although stereotypic PMR increased with age and hedonistic PRM (a less sophisticated type of PRM) declined over time for males. More sophisticated PMR was positively related to friends' reports of a prosocial orientation concurrently and at age 24/25, as well as self-reports of sympathy in adolescence. Specific modes of PMR related to spontaneous or compliant sharing in preschool. Women used more sophisticated PMR than men across the entire study period. Self-reported and friend-reported prosociality at age 27/28 and 31/32 (combined) was related to numerous prior measures of a prosocial orientation, including spontaneous, relatively costly prosocial behavior in preschool (for self-reports and friend-reported sympathy/consideration for others). Donating/volunteering at T13/T14 was related to concurrent self-and friend-reported prosociality and to self-reported prosocial orientation in earlier adulthood and mother-reported helping in adolescence.

Journal of Genetic Psychology, Nov 5, 2019

Children's food approach and food avoidance are appetitive traits with genetic or biological base... more Children's food approach and food avoidance are appetitive traits with genetic or biological bases. Nonetheless, parents play a critical role in children's dietary intake through parenting and feeding practices. The present study tested parents' controlling feeding practices (i.e., restriction and pressure to eat) as mediating mechanisms between child appetitive traits and child BMI in an economically and ethnically diverse sample. Participants were 139 children aged 4 to 6 years (51.8% males, M = 4.77 years, SD = 0.84) and their parents. Results showed that restriction and pressure to eat mediated the relation between child food approach or food avoidance and child BMI. Mediation effects did not differ across poverty status or ethnic groups. Also, the type of controlling feeding that parents exert related to children's weight status in diametrically different or opposite ways. Thus, food-related parenting appears to be a promising point of entry for childhood obesity prevention programs. Findings are consistent with a biopsychosocial model of the development of eating and weight in childhood which takes into account both parent and child behavior and characteristics and links child biology and behavior with psychosocial processes and environment.

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Oct 31, 2014

Parent-Adolescent Conflict as Sequences of Reciprocal Negative Emotion: Links with Conflict Resol... more Parent-Adolescent Conflict as Sequences of Reciprocal Negative Emotion: Links with Conflict Resolution and Adolescents' Behavior Problems *Superscript numbers indicate order of authorship.

Obesity science & practice, Jul 20, 2020

SummaryBackgroundStress‐induced emotional eating is a risk factor for overweight and obesity. Pre... more SummaryBackgroundStress‐induced emotional eating is a risk factor for overweight and obesity. Previous research proposes both the human serotonin transporter gene (5‐HTTLPR) and child's reactive temperament are promising candidates to help explain individual differences in stress‐induced emotional eating and weight. Understanding the association between specific genotypes, reactive temperament factors, and stress‐induced emotional eating may inform the development of personalized and effective treatment for children who may be at risk for overweight and obesity.ObjectiveThe current study explored the conditional indirect effect of genetic and environmental susceptibility (i.e., the interaction between 5‐HTTLPR and reactive temperament) on weight (as measured by percent body fat) mediated by stress‐induced emotional eating.MethodOne hundred and forty‐seven children (4 to 6 years old; 50.3% female; 22.4% Hispanic), along with their primary caregiver, completed laboratory tasks and questionnaires that assessed the child's reactive temperament, stress‐induced emotional eating, and percent body fat.ResultsThe interaction between 5‐HTTLPR and impulsivity as well as with negative affectivity significantly predicted percent body fat. The interaction between 5‐HTTLPR and impulsivity as well as with negative affectivity significantly predicted both total calorie consumption and rate of total calorie consumption. However, the mediation aspect of this statistical model was not supported.ConclusionsChild reactive temperament is an important indicator of how children approach eating when stressed. Mental health providers may consider prescribing strategies to reduce emotional eating among children with the SL variant and moderate to high impulsivity as well as children with the LL variant and high negative affectivity.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2019

Effortful control (EC) and executive functioning (EF) are two focal constructs in the study of se... more Effortful control (EC) and executive functioning (EF) are two focal constructs in the study of self-regulation in early childhood. Given a number of conceptual and empirical overlaps between EC and EF, this study examined the associations between commonly used laboratory and performance-based measures of EC and EF in early childhood. Children (N = 244; age 4-6 years) completed the Shape Stroop, Snack Delay and Toy Delay tasks, as well as the Conner's Kiddie-Continuous Performance Task (KCPT). Partial correlations and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to assess the relations between performance on the EC and EF tasks and the factor structure of self-regulation. Convergent and divergent validity were found amongst the performance-based measures. In addition, results from CFA support a onefactor model of self-regulation with "hot" EC and "cool" EF loading onto a general self-regulation factor. Study results highlight the similarities that exist between EC and EF during early childhood and the need for integrative, whole-child approaches in order to understand the neurophysiological and behavioral underpinnings of self-regulation and its development.

Wiley-Blackwell eBooks, Apr 21, 2009

Developmental Psychology, Sep 1, 2004

Data regarding individual differences in children's regulation, emotionality, quality of socioemo... more Data regarding individual differences in children's regulation, emotionality, quality of socioemotional functioning, and shyness were obtained from teachers and peers for 112 Indonesian 6th graders. Similar data (plus parents' reports) also were collected when these children were in 3rd grade. For boys, regulation and low negative emotionality generally predicted positive socioemotional functioning (e.g., social skills, adjustment, prosocial tendencies and peer liking, sympathy) within and across time and across reporters, even at the follow-up when initial levels of regulation or negative emotionality were controlled. For girls, relations were obtained primarily for concurrent teacher reports, probably because girls tended to be fairly well regulated and socially competent and variability in their scores was relatively low. Shyness for both sexes tended to be associated with concurrent measures of low regulation, high negative emotionality, and low quality of social competence. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that individual differences in children's emotionality and regulatory capacities are associated with children's concurrent and long-term social competence and adjustment (

Asian American Journal of Psychology, Sep 1, 2014

The present study challenges the popular notion that overly controlling or restrictive parenting ... more The present study challenges the popular notion that overly controlling or restrictive parenting is the primary pathway to academic achievement for Chinese Americans. Although traditional Chinese values require parents to make good choices for their children by supervising and asserting strict limits using guǎn (safeguarding) and jiào xun (demandingness of excellence), such parental duties do not preclude the use of autonomy support or noncoercive discipline to promote children's academic success. In this study, we examined the processes or mechanisms underlying the linkages between parental autonomy support, emotion-related self-regulation, adaptive skills, and academic achievement in 92 Chinese American adolescents (mean age ϭ 16 years, SD ϭ 1.4) and their first-generation immigrant parents. Study results indicate that parental autonomy support and emotion-related self-regulation are both promotive factors in adaptive and academic competencies. We propose that guǎn (管), or safeguarding, and jiào xun (教訓), or demandingness of excellence, represent parental strictness-supervision, which when counterbalanced by autonomy support, could be considered the yin and yang in parenting that promotes adolescents' academic success without harming their social-emotional or psychological well-being.

Wiley-Blackwell eBooks, Apr 21, 2009

Social Development, Oct 17, 2016

Research has demonstrated that emotions expressed in parent-child relationships are associated wi... more Research has demonstrated that emotions expressed in parent-child relationships are associated with children's school success. Yet the types of emotional expressions, and the mechanisms by which emotional expressions are linked with children's success in school, are unclear. In the present article, we focused on negative emotion reciprocity in parent-child interactions. Using structural equation modeling of data from 138 parent to child dyads [children's mean age at Time 1 (T1) was 13.44 years, SD 5 1.16], we tested children's negative emotionality (CNE) at T1 and low attention focusing (LAF) at Time 2 (T2) as sequential mediators in the relation between parent and child negative emotion reciprocity at T1 and children's grade point average (GPA) and inhibitory control at T2. Our findings supported an emotion-attention process model: parent-child negative emotion reciprocity at T1 predicted CNE at T1, which predicted children's LAF at T2, which was, in turn, related to low inhibitory control at T2. Findings regarding children's GPA were less conclusive but did suggest an overall association of negative reciprocity and the two mediators with children's GPA. Our findings are discussed in terms of emotion regulation processes in children from negatively reciprocating dyads, and the effects of these processes on children's ability to obtain and use skills needed for success in school.

Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, Aug 27, 2015

The extant research suggests bilingualism is associated with enhanced cognitive effects, most evi... more The extant research suggests bilingualism is associated with enhanced cognitive effects, most evident in attention and executive functioning (EF). The current study examined the contributions of balance in the bilingualism (Spanish–English) of children to performance-based measures and caregiver ratings of EF. Participants included 30 bilingual children. Balance in children's bilingualism was correlated with caregiver ratings of task initiation. After controlling for demographic variables, balance in bilingualism significantly accounted for 37% of the variance in ratings of children's task initiation. Additional research is needed regarding associations between dual-language exposure, linguistic competence, and cognitive development in children.

Learning and Individual Differences, Feb 1, 2017

In this study, we identied distinct clusters based on adolescents' relatedness with peers and tea... more In this study, we identied distinct clusters based on adolescents' relatedness with peers and teachers, and examined how students with different patterns or configurations of school-based relatedness qualities fare in their psychological and academic adjustment. A total of 1964 middle school students (M age = 15 years) participated in the study. We used latent profile analysis to identify meaningful patterns of peer and teacher relatedness and found that low feelings of relatedness with or responsiveness from the teacher do not necessarily result in poor school outcomes (low grades or low well-being) if students have at least moderate feelings of relatedness with their classmates. Results provide a better understanding of profiles of students who may be at risk for poor school adjustment, low grades, or school drop-out while offering a window into potential factors that protect or promote students' well-being and achievement.

Wiley-Blackwell eBooks, Apr 21, 2009

Developmental Psychology, 2012

The purpose of the current study was to predict the development of aggressive behavior from young... more The purpose of the current study was to predict the development of aggressive behavior from young children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and environmental quality. In a longitudinal sample of 213 children, baseline RSA, RSA suppression in response to a film of crying babies, and a composite measure of environmental quality (incorporating socioeconomic status and marital adjustment) were measured, and parent-reported aggression was assessed from 18 to 54 months of age. Predictions based on biological sensitivity-to-context/differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress models, as well as potential moderation by child sex, were examined. The interaction of baseline RSA with environmental quality predicted the development (slope) and 54month intercept of mothers' reports of aggression. For girls only, the interaction between baseline

Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Feb 1, 2011

Background: Schools often include running in their physical education and health curriculum to in... more Background: Schools often include running in their physical education and health curriculum to increase physical activity and reduce childhood overweight. But having students run around may not be enough to sustain physical activity habits if motivational factors are not well understood. This study examined effortful persistence as a predictor of running. Methods: Participants were 246 5th graders, and data on their demographic information, body mass index (BMI), effortful persistence, and time to complete a 1-mile run were collected across 4 years. Results: Between 5th to 8th grades, effortful persistence predicted time to complete a 1-mile run even when BMI was taken into account at every grade except for 7th grade. Rank-order stability was found in major variables across-time, but no across-time prediction was found for effortful persistence on a 1-mile run. Conclusions: Lack of longitudinal predictions bodes well for interventions aimed at increasing physical activity, because children or youth with high BMIs or low effortful persistence are not destined for future underachievement on physically challenging activities. Given the stability of variables, interventions that target fostering self-regulatory efficacy or effortful persistence may be particularly important for getting children on trajectories toward healthy and sustained levels of physical activity.

Developmental Psychology, 2014

We examined stability and change in prosocial moral reasoning (PRM) assessed longitudinally at ag... more We examined stability and change in prosocial moral reasoning (PRM) assessed longitudinally at ages 20/21, 22/23, 24/25, 26/27, and 31/32 years (N ϭ 32; 16 female) using a pencil-and-paper measure of moral reasoning and examined relations of PRM and prosocial behavior with one another and with empathy, sympathy measured with self-and friend reports in adulthood, self-and mother reports of prosocial tendencies in adolescence, and observed prosocial behavior in preschool. Proportions of different types of PRM (hedonistic, approval, stereotypic, internalized) exhibited high mean-level stability across early adulthood, although stereotypic PMR increased with age and hedonistic PRM (a less sophisticated type of PRM) declined over time for males. More sophisticated PMR was positively related to friends' reports of a prosocial orientation concurrently and at age 24/25, as well as self-reports of sympathy in adolescence. Specific modes of PMR related to spontaneous or compliant sharing in preschool. Women used more sophisticated PMR than men across the entire study period. Self-reported and friend-reported prosociality at age 27/28 and 31/32 (combined) was related to numerous prior measures of a prosocial orientation, including spontaneous, relatively costly prosocial behavior in preschool (for self-reports and friend-reported sympathy/consideration for others). Donating/volunteering at T13/T14 was related to concurrent self-and friend-reported prosociality and to self-reported prosocial orientation in earlier adulthood and mother-reported helping in adolescence.

Journal of Genetic Psychology, Nov 5, 2019

Children's food approach and food avoidance are appetitive traits with genetic or biological base... more Children's food approach and food avoidance are appetitive traits with genetic or biological bases. Nonetheless, parents play a critical role in children's dietary intake through parenting and feeding practices. The present study tested parents' controlling feeding practices (i.e., restriction and pressure to eat) as mediating mechanisms between child appetitive traits and child BMI in an economically and ethnically diverse sample. Participants were 139 children aged 4 to 6 years (51.8% males, M = 4.77 years, SD = 0.84) and their parents. Results showed that restriction and pressure to eat mediated the relation between child food approach or food avoidance and child BMI. Mediation effects did not differ across poverty status or ethnic groups. Also, the type of controlling feeding that parents exert related to children's weight status in diametrically different or opposite ways. Thus, food-related parenting appears to be a promising point of entry for childhood obesity prevention programs. Findings are consistent with a biopsychosocial model of the development of eating and weight in childhood which takes into account both parent and child behavior and characteristics and links child biology and behavior with psychosocial processes and environment.

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Oct 31, 2014

Parent-Adolescent Conflict as Sequences of Reciprocal Negative Emotion: Links with Conflict Resol... more Parent-Adolescent Conflict as Sequences of Reciprocal Negative Emotion: Links with Conflict Resolution and Adolescents' Behavior Problems *Superscript numbers indicate order of authorship.

Obesity science & practice, Jul 20, 2020

SummaryBackgroundStress‐induced emotional eating is a risk factor for overweight and obesity. Pre... more SummaryBackgroundStress‐induced emotional eating is a risk factor for overweight and obesity. Previous research proposes both the human serotonin transporter gene (5‐HTTLPR) and child's reactive temperament are promising candidates to help explain individual differences in stress‐induced emotional eating and weight. Understanding the association between specific genotypes, reactive temperament factors, and stress‐induced emotional eating may inform the development of personalized and effective treatment for children who may be at risk for overweight and obesity.ObjectiveThe current study explored the conditional indirect effect of genetic and environmental susceptibility (i.e., the interaction between 5‐HTTLPR and reactive temperament) on weight (as measured by percent body fat) mediated by stress‐induced emotional eating.MethodOne hundred and forty‐seven children (4 to 6 years old; 50.3% female; 22.4% Hispanic), along with their primary caregiver, completed laboratory tasks and questionnaires that assessed the child's reactive temperament, stress‐induced emotional eating, and percent body fat.ResultsThe interaction between 5‐HTTLPR and impulsivity as well as with negative affectivity significantly predicted percent body fat. The interaction between 5‐HTTLPR and impulsivity as well as with negative affectivity significantly predicted both total calorie consumption and rate of total calorie consumption. However, the mediation aspect of this statistical model was not supported.ConclusionsChild reactive temperament is an important indicator of how children approach eating when stressed. Mental health providers may consider prescribing strategies to reduce emotional eating among children with the SL variant and moderate to high impulsivity as well as children with the LL variant and high negative affectivity.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2019

Effortful control (EC) and executive functioning (EF) are two focal constructs in the study of se... more Effortful control (EC) and executive functioning (EF) are two focal constructs in the study of self-regulation in early childhood. Given a number of conceptual and empirical overlaps between EC and EF, this study examined the associations between commonly used laboratory and performance-based measures of EC and EF in early childhood. Children (N = 244; age 4-6 years) completed the Shape Stroop, Snack Delay and Toy Delay tasks, as well as the Conner's Kiddie-Continuous Performance Task (KCPT). Partial correlations and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to assess the relations between performance on the EC and EF tasks and the factor structure of self-regulation. Convergent and divergent validity were found amongst the performance-based measures. In addition, results from CFA support a onefactor model of self-regulation with "hot" EC and "cool" EF loading onto a general self-regulation factor. Study results highlight the similarities that exist between EC and EF during early childhood and the need for integrative, whole-child approaches in order to understand the neurophysiological and behavioral underpinnings of self-regulation and its development.

Wiley-Blackwell eBooks, Apr 21, 2009

Developmental Psychology, Sep 1, 2004

Data regarding individual differences in children's regulation, emotionality, quality of socioemo... more Data regarding individual differences in children's regulation, emotionality, quality of socioemotional functioning, and shyness were obtained from teachers and peers for 112 Indonesian 6th graders. Similar data (plus parents' reports) also were collected when these children were in 3rd grade. For boys, regulation and low negative emotionality generally predicted positive socioemotional functioning (e.g., social skills, adjustment, prosocial tendencies and peer liking, sympathy) within and across time and across reporters, even at the follow-up when initial levels of regulation or negative emotionality were controlled. For girls, relations were obtained primarily for concurrent teacher reports, probably because girls tended to be fairly well regulated and socially competent and variability in their scores was relatively low. Shyness for both sexes tended to be associated with concurrent measures of low regulation, high negative emotionality, and low quality of social competence. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that individual differences in children's emotionality and regulatory capacities are associated with children's concurrent and long-term social competence and adjustment (