Search results

Abstract Prior research suggests shared environmental influences on cognitive performance are important in early childhood. However, few studies have attempted to identify the factors comprising this shared environmental variance. To address this issue, we examined the covariance between task orientation, parental warmth, socioeconomic status and general cognitive ability in a British twin study of 125 pairs of identical and same‐sex fraternal twins. Task orientation correlated r = .41 with general cognitive ability. Bivariate genetic analyses suggested that this correlation was mediated by shared environmental influences. Additional analyses suggested that SES and parental warmth mediated about two‐thirds of the shared environmental covariance between task engagement and cognitive skills.

Abstract The aims of this study were to examine family type (nonstep, stepfather, stepmother, and single mother) and sibling type (full‐ and half‐siblings) differences in sibling relationship quality (positivity and negativity), and to investigate links between sibling relationship quality and child externalizing and internalizing problems. The sample included 192 families with a 5‐year‐old target child and an older sibling. In addition, 80 of these families included a third older child. Mothers and the older siblings (8 years and older) completed questionnaires and interviews regarding conflict and support in their sibling relationships, and parents and teachers reported on each child's social‐emotional adjustment. Sibling negativity (conflict, aggression) was highest in single‐mother families and full‐siblings were more negative than half‐ and stepsiblings. There was some evidence that sibling antagonism was associated with more child behavioral and emotional problems, but these effects were moderated by family type.

This book examines the effects of social relations during primary school on children's neurobiology and pathways to maladaptation. It explores the ways in which after the transition to primary education children, supervised by teachers, need to function with their peers. The volume addresses issues affecting 10% to 20% of children who become poorly accepted or victimized by peers, receive low support by teachers or even have conflictual relations with teachers, and may perceive the classroom as a whole as nonsupportive. Key areas of coverage include: Detrimental effects of such social experiences, providing an overview of how such experiences affect children's neurobiology factors to understand why these children develop maladaptive outcomes.Manifestations of social relations, their complexity, interrelations, and pathways leading to the maladaptive outcomes.How genetic factors may evoke children's social environment and make them susceptible to its impact (e.g., findings on DNA methylation at both epigenome-wide level as well as on particular loci on candidate genes).Links between social environmental stressors and the psychophysiology of elementary school children and reviews both links with the autonomic nervous system as well as with the HPA-axis.The impact of social experiences on neurocognitive function development, decision making, and structural and functional brain development and discusses implications for research, prevention, and intervention. Biosocial Interplay During Elementary School is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians and other professionals in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, educational psychology/policy and politics, social work, neuroscience, public health, and all related disciplines

Intro -- Contents -- Prologue: Introduction -- Elementary School Social Experiences with Peers and Teachers: Manifestation and Development -- Chapter Overview -- The Socializing Influence of Peers in Elementary School -- Individual Characteristics -- Interactions -- Dyadic Relationships -- Groups -- The Socializing Influence of Teachers in Elementary School -- Individual Characteristics -- Interactions -- Dyadic Relationships -- Groups -- Conclusion -- References -- How Peers and Teachers Shape Elementary School Children's Academic and Socioemotional Development -- Introduction -- Peer Experiences at the Dyad Level -- Peer Processes at the Group Level -- Processes Through Which Peer Influences at the Group Level May Affect Socioemotional and Academic Development -- Teacher-Child Experiences at the Dyadic Level -- Teacher-Child Interactions at the Group Level -- Interplay Between Peer and Teacher Experiences -- Conclusions and Future Directions -- References -- School Social Relations and Child Development: Gene-Environment Interplay -- Introduction -- Gene-Environment Interplay -- Gene-Environment Correlations (rGE) -- Gene-Environment Interactions (GxE) -- Methods of Testing Gene-Environment Interplay -- Quantitative Genetic Studies -- Molecular Genetic Studies -- Gene-Environment Interplay: Evidence from Quantitative Genetic Studies -- Quantitative Genetic Studies of Externalizing Problems -- Gene-Environment Correlations (rGE) -- Gene-Environment Interactions (GxE) -- Quantitative Genetic Studies of Internalizing Problems -- Gene-Environment Correlations (rGE) -- Gene-Environment Interactions (GxE) -- Gene-Environment Interplay: Evidence from Molecular Genetic Studies -- Molecular Genetic Studies of Externalizing Problems -- Genetic Main Effects -- Gene-Environment Interplay -- Molecular Genetic Studies of Internalizing Problems.

AbstractEarly theory of mind development is influenced by a variety of experiences and contexts. Social interactions with parents and others are important for developing a theory of mind, but these social processes may be disrupted by aspects of the proximal home environment. The current study observed father‐child dyadic mutuality (a construct representing responsiveness, reciprocity, and cooperation during a structured interaction) and its associations with child theory of mind and household chaos in a sample of fathers and their 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children (N = 88 dyads). Dyadic mutuality was coded from videotaped structured tasks, household chaos was self‐reported by fathers through a questionnaire, and child theory of mind was measured through behavioral tasks. Measures of child expressive language ability, child executive function, and family socioeconomic status are included as covariates. Results show no main effect of either dyadic mutuality or household chaos on child theory of mind, but that the association between dyadic mutuality and child theory of mind was moderated by household chaos, whereby the association between higher observed dyadic mutuality and better child theory of mind abilities was evident only at low and mean levels of chaos. Findings suggest that higher levels of household chaos may disturb the beneficial social interactions between parents and children that influence theory of mind development. Additional contextual variables and processes are discussed.

An exploration of whether the link between harsh physical discipline & children's aggressive behavior problems generalizes beyond middle-class Caucasians argues that cultural differences in child-rearing practices influence children's interpretations of their parents' actions. The literature on physical discipline, abuse, & the development of aggressive behavior problems is reviewed. The evidence indicates physical punishment is a risk factor for antisocial behavior among European Americans, but not for African Americans. Competing hypotheses about the meaning of these findings are explored. Although none of the explanations is conclusive, it is suggested that the tone or quality of the parent-child relationship may influence the way children view their physical punishment. Parents who punish with an attitude of anger & hostility may elicit greater feelings of anger, fear, & rejection in their children. Emphasis is placed on the need for research that highlights the multiple factors that differ across ethnic & cultural groups, including the impact of children's perceptions of their discipline experiences on subsequent aggressive behavior problems. Tables, References. J. Lindroth

This book examines the effects of social relations during primary school on childrens neurobiology and pathways to maladaptation. It explores the ways in which after the transition to primary education children, supervised by teachers, need to function with their peers. The volume addresses issues affecting 10% to 20% of children who become poorly accepted or victimized by peers, receive low support by teachers or even have conflictual relations with teachers, and may perceive the classroom as a whole as nonsupportive. Key areas of coverage include: Detrimental effects of such social experiences, providing an overview of how such experiences affect childrens neurobiology factors to understand why these children develop maladaptive outcomes. Manifestations of social relations, their complexity, interrelations, and pathways leading to the maladaptive outcomes. How genetic factors may evoke childrens social environment and make them susceptible to its impact (e.g., findings on DNA methylation at both epigenome-wide level as well as on particular loci on candidate genes). Links between social environmental stressors and the psychophysiology of elementary school children and reviews both links with the autonomic nervous system as well as with the HPA-axis. The impact of social experiences on neurocognitive function development, decision making, and structural and functional brain development and discusses implications for research, prevention, and intervention. Biosocial Interplay During Elementary School is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians and other professionals in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, educational psychology/policy and politics, social work, neuroscience, public health, and all related disciplines.

AbstractObjectiveWe examined whether mothers' and child's regulatory capacity, measured by effortful control (EC) and its facets, is associated with variance in mother–child within‐dyad similarity in multiple aspects of positive emotions and behaviors during their interaction.BackgroundBoth parents' and children's self‐regulation capacities may help them to modulate their behaviors and emotions to be mutually responsive to and harmonious with their interaction partner.MethodsParticipants were children of 3‐ to‐7‐year‐olds and their mothers (n = 147). Mothers completed a set of questionnaires regarding themselves, their child, and demographics, and mother–child interactions were observed during three cooperative tasks. We estimated mother–child within‐dyad similarity during their brief interaction using the Q‐correlation method.ResultsMothers' general EC was statistically associated with greater mother–child similarity, but children's EC was not. When testing the subscales of EC, greater mother–child similarity was associated with mother's higher attentional control, child's better attention focusing, child's lower levels of low intensity pleasure, and older child age.ConclusionMother's higher attentional control and child's better attention focusing are associated with greater mother and child within‐dyad similarity during their interactions.ImplicationsThis study highlights the importance of considering child and mother self‐regulation for intervention efforts to better understand how dyads match and co‐modulate their behaviors and emotions during their interactions.

AbstractFrontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry is associated with individual differences in positive/negative emotionality and approach/avoidance tendencies. The current study examined the moderating role of maternal resting frontal EEG asymmetry on the link between child behavior problems and maternal harsh parenting within the context of differing degrees of chronic family stressors (father unemployment, single parenthood, caring for multiple children, and household chaos). The sample included 121 mother–child pairs. Results showed that stressors and frontal EEG asymmetry together moderated the link. Child problem behaviors were moderately associated with greater maternal negativity for mothers with right frontal asymmetry, or mothers who experienced more stressors. However, no association existed between child behavior problems and maternal negativity for mothers with few stressors and left frontal asymmetry. The findings implicate transactions between household stress and a psychophysiological indicator of maternal emotional reactivity and mothers' approach/avoidance tendencies in the etiology of parental negativity toward challenging child behaviors.

The present study explores relations between young children's understanding of mind and parental emotional expression and disciplinary style, along with gender differences in these relations. Participants were recruited from a study of 125 same‐sex twin‐pairs (58% female; group mean age 5 43 months, SD 5 1 month). Each child received a comprehensive set of theory‐of‐mind tasks, and was filmed at home for 20 minutes in dyadic interactions with the primary caregiver, who was also interviewed about disciplinary strategies. Ratings of discipline and positive and negative parental affect and control were made from direct observation, from the interview, and from the videoed interactions. Strong correlations were found between family SES, parenting measures, and child verbal IQ and theory‐of‐mind score. However, regression analyses showed that parental behaviours were significant predictors of children's theory‐of‐mind performance, even when sex, verbal IQ and family SES were taken into account. Sex differences in these relations were also identified; parental affect was especially salient for understanding of mind in girls, while discipline was more salient for boys. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of individual differences in the proximal processes associated with early understanding of mind, and suggest that development in mental‐state awareness is associated with distinct aspects of parenting for girls and boys.

Family circumstances of children in immigrant families : looking to the future of America / Donald J. Hernandez, Nancy A. Denton, and Suzanne E. Macartney -- Health of children in immigrant families / Fernando S. Mendoza, Joyce R. Javier, and Anthony E. Burgos -- Ethnic identity development in immigrant families / Jean S. Phinney and Anthony D. Ong -- Acculturation strategies and adaption / John W. Berry -- Immigrant families in sociology / Vappu Tyyskä -- How economists have studied the immigrant family / Neeraj Kaushal and Cordelia Reimers -- Knowledge of child development and family interactions among immigrants to America : perspectives from developmental science / Marc H. Bornstein and Linda R. Cote -- A multidisiplinary perspective on the development of young children in immigrant families / P. Lindasy Chase-Lansdale, Angela Valdovinos D'Angelo, and Natalia Palacios -- Managing the differences within : immigration and early education in the United States / Robert H. Bradley and Lorraine McKelvey -- The role of preschool and after-school policies in improving the school achievement of children of immigrants / Jane Waldfogel and Claudia Lahaie -- Cultural and religious contexts of parenting by immigrant South Asian Muslim mothers / Fariyal Ross-Sheriff, M. Taqi Tirmazi, and Tasanee R. Walsh -- Immigration, globalization, and the Chinese American families / Bernard P. Wong -- Immigrant families and the educational development of their children / Andrew J. Fuligni and Allison Sidle Fuligni -- Work-family linkages in the lives of families of Mexican origin / Kimberly A. Updegraff ... [et al.] -- Building bridges : strategies to promote academic and psychological resilience for adolescents of Mexican origin / Nancy A. Gonzales ... [et al.] -- The role of the law in relationships within immigrant families : traditional parenting practices in conflict with American concepts of maltreatment / Doriane Lambelet Coleman -- Closing thoughts / Kirby Deater-Deckard, Marc H. Bornstein, and Jennifer E. Lansford -- Afterword : Reflections on research with immigrant families / Carola Suárez-Orozco

AbstractThe present study examined whether internalizing and externalizing symptoms may mediate the association between adolescent–mother and adolescent–father attachment and substance use. The sample included 167 adolescents (47% girls) who were assessed at five time points with approximately 1 year between each assessment, beginning in middle adolescence (Mage = 14.07) and ending in the transition to young adulthood (Mage = 18.39). The adolescents reported their perceived attachment with both their mother and father during middle adolescence (Times 1 and 2), their internalizing and externalizing symptoms during late adolescence (Times 3 and 4), and their alcohol use during the transition to young adulthood (Time 5). The results showed that less secure adolescent–father attachment, but not adolescent–mother attachment, was predictive of heightened externalizing and internalizing symptoms. In turn, heightened externalizing symptoms were predictive of heightened alcohol use. Despite the nonsignificant direct association between adolescent–father attachment and alcohol use, less secure adolescent–father attachment was indirectly predictive of greater alcohol use, mediated through heightened externalizing symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of close and trusting father–adolescent relationships in the development of psychopathology and substance use behaviors. The developmental cascade from a less secure adolescent–father attachment to greater externalizing symptoms and heightened substance use, as well as implications for prevention and intervention of young adult substance use, are discussed.Research Highlights
The differential pathways from adolescent–mother and adolescent–father attachment to substance use during the transition to young adulthood are not well known.
Longitudinal data were used to test whether internalizing and externalizing symptoms may mediate the association between adolescent–mother and adolescent–father attachment and substance use.
Less secure adolescent–father attachment predicted heightened internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and less secure adolescent–father attachment predicted greater alcohol use, mediated through heightened externalizing symptoms.
The findings suggest that addressing insecure attachment with fathers during adolescence may reduce unhealthy substance use during the transition to young adulthood.

AbstractWe tested the hypothesis that mother–child warmth and responsiveness would moderate the link between young children's theory of mind skills and self‐worth. Participants included 125 same‐sex pairs of 3.5 year‐old twins and their mothers. A battery of tests was individually administered to measure the children's theory of mind skills and verbal intelligence, and their self‐reported self‐worth was assessed using a puppet interview. Following visits to the families' homes, the observers completed ratings of warm responsive mother–child behavior based on videotaped unstructured and structured observations. As expected, warm responsive behavior moderated the relation between their theory of mind and the child's self‐worth. Their theory of mind was positively associated with self‐worth in warm responsive mother–child dyads, and there was weaker evidence that their theory of mind may be negatively associated with self‐worth in less warm, unresponsive mother–child dyads.