1. Problem-Solving Skills in Oppositional Youth: The Role of Parent – Child Synchrony ♦ Natalie E. Zazzara, Rachel L. Miller–Slough, M.S., Julie C. Dunsmore, Ph.D., & Thomas H. Ollendick, Ph.D.♦ Virginia Tech Method Discussion Introduction The present study offers several important insights regarding children with ODD: Higher levels of parent-child synchrony were associated with higher children’s problem solving. Given that ODD is characterized by excessive negative affect, perhaps a calm and engaging discussion with parents can assist oppositional children in understanding the aspects of a problem and coming up with future solutions. Children's engagement was indicative of higher problem solving. Children’s initial willingness to engage with their parents may contribute to their ability to work alongside parents to pay attention to the task at hand and come up with reasonable solutions to their difficulties. Child problem solving solving skills may also affect parent–child synchrony, such that children who are willing to engage in problem-solving may be more likely to connect with their parents on these topics. As such, bidirectionality between parent and child should be considered in future studies. Treatment Implications Parent-child synchrony in children with ODD may help promote children’s problem-solving skills. Clinician can work with parents of oppositional children regarding how to maintain an engaging and collaborative environment when discussing difficult issues with oppositional children, as this may be the key to children engage in problem-solving. Children’s level of engagement with difficult topics maybe suggestive of how receptive they may be to treatment, in which they would likely discuss their difficulties with parents on a regular basis. Limitations Cross-sectional data Small sample size Future Research Future research should test the replicability of these findings with longitudinal data and also with different clinical populations. Participants 42 dyads of treatment seeking families (67.9% boys), ages 7-14 years (M = 10.15, SD = 1.69). Children’s race/ethnicity: 87.9% Caucasian, 9.1% African American, 3.0% Biracial Procedure After completing a phone screening, selected families completed a structured clinical interview. Those families with children with ODD were included in the study. Families were randomly assigned to one of two empirically supported treatments for ODD (Parent Management Training or Collaborative and Proactive Solutions). Parents were compensated $50 for the pre-treatment assessment session Children’s ODD symptoms were reported using the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule, 4 th edition (Silverman & Albano, 1996) Method Parents and children completed a problem-solving conversation task (Dunsmore et al., 2013), which was coded for a variety of behaviors (Miller-Slough et al., 2015; ICCs ≥.80): Child engagement: child’s level of participation in the task (scale: 1 – 3) Problem solving skills: individual’s ability to come up with causes, consequences, and solutions to problems. This was coded individually for parents and children (scale: 1 – 4) Parent-child synchrony: connectedness and shared perspective between child and parent (scale: 1 – 4) Results Please direct correspondence to Natalie Zazzara (nataliez@vt.edu) University of Virginia’s L. Starling Reid Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference, April 2016nataliez@vt.edu Child problem solving skills Parent – child synchrony Parent problem solving skills b =.08 b =.31* b =.40* Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is an externalizing disorder characterized by defying authority and excessive negative affect in youth Oppositional children struggle with social problem solving skills, particularly with parents (Green, Albon, & Goring, 2004) Parent–child synchrony, known as the connectedness and shared perspective between parent and child, has been associated with lower externalizing problems in young children (Gini et al., 2007; Laible & Song, 2006). Previous studies with oppositional children indicate that connectedness between parent and child has been related to less oppositionality in families with treatment seeking children (Miller-Slough, Dunsmore, Ollendick & Greene, 2015). An environment characterized by reciprocity and connection may help children with ODD more readily discuss difficult topics and find solutions to their problems with the assistance of their parents (Laible, 2011). However, parent-child synchrony has yet to be examined in relation to children’s social problem solving abilities. Furthermore, relevant individual-level factors, such as parent’s own problem solving and children’s level of engagement in the task, have also yet to be considered. The present study examined the relation between parent-child synchrony and problem solving skills in children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Hypothesis 1.It is expected that parent-child synchrony will be related to higher problem-solving skills in children with ODD, after statistically controlling for parent problem solving skills and child engagement Child Engagement Preliminary analyses A t–test indicated that there were no child gender differences in study variables Correlations revealed that children’s problem-solving was associated with parent child synchrony, as well as parents’ problem solving and child engagement(Table 1). As such, parents’ problem solving and child engagement were controlled for when testing our hypothesis. Hypothesis testing We tested our hypothesis with a step-wise regression (Table 2). Parents’ problem solving and child engagement were entered in step 1 of the model as covariates, and parent-child synchrony was entered in step 2. Parent -child synchrony was associated with higher child problem solving skills, controlling for the parents’ problem solving and child engagement. Further, child engagement was associated with children’s problem-solving behaviors. Parents’ problem solving was not associated with parent-child synchrony. This research was supported by NIMH grant R01 MH59308, as well as the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment at Virginia Tech. The authors would like to extend special thanks to the families who participated in this research, as well as the students and staff from the Treatment of Oppositional Youth project at the Virginia Tech Child Study Center