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Power J, Watson S, Chen W, Lewis AJ, van IJzendoorn MH, Galbally M. Maternal emotional availability and perinatal depressive symptoms as predictors of early childhood executive function. J Affect Disord 2024; 365:332-340. [PMID: 39178959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interconnected effects of maternal perinatal depression and the early mother-infant relational quality on children's executive function development are crucial yet understudied. This study addresses this gap, focusing on how perinatal depressive symptoms and emotional availability at 6 months predict child executive function performance at age four, with an emphasis on the moderating role of emotional availability. METHOD This study included 282 mother-infant pairs recruited from the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study, utilising repeated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale measurement over the perinatal period, Emotional Availability Scales, and child executive function assessments (Shape School, NEPSY-II, Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity scale, inattentive subscale). Latent growth curve analysis incorporated controls for socioeconomic status and maternal cognitive abilities, and moderation effects were examined through multiplicative interaction terms. RESULTS We found that emotional availability influences children's executive function, specifically switching, motor inhibition, and inattentive symptoms, irrespective of maternal depressive symptom changes. This effect is further nuanced by emotional availability's moderating role in the association between depressive symptom change and switching. LIMITATIONS The study's limitations include a relatively small sample size for moderation analysis and the exclusion of paternal influences. CONCLUSION This study is a significant step in understanding the profound influence of maternal emotional availability in infancy on child executive function development, offering new avenues for research and, if replicated, a foundation for innovative intervention approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Power
- Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Stuart Watson
- Murdoch University, Discipline of Psychology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; University of Notre Dame, School of Medicine, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Wai Chen
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Australia; enAble Institute, Curtin University, Australia; Fiona Stanley Hospital, SMHS, Australia; Postgraduate School of Education, UWA, Australia; Murdoch University, WA, Australia; School of Medicine (Fremantle), University of Notre Dame Australia, WA, Australia; Centre of Excellence in Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | | | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Erasmus University, Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Megan Galbally
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Sankalaite S, Huizinga M, Warreyn P, Dewandeleer J, Baeyens D. The association between working memory, teacher-student relationship, and academic performance in primary school children. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1240741. [PMID: 37809289 PMCID: PMC10556679 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1240741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Early relationships with teachers play an important role in children's development and significantly influence students' cognitive and academic performance. Studies suggest that working memory (WM) is a strong predictor of academic achievement, especially of reading and arithmetic outcomes. The associations between teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality, children's WM skills and their academic performance have been reported in numerous observational studies. However, the potentially bidirectional and temporal nature of the relationships between these constructs is understudied. Methods The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between primary school children's WM and TSR by applying a cross-lagged design and measuring these constructs at three time points throughout the academic year. More exploratively, this study investigated how WM and TSR bidirectionally relate to children's academic performance. Results The findings of this study revealed a temporal relationship between WM and TSR: between WM-related problems in the classroom at baseline and conflict at 3-month follow-up, and between closeness at 3-month follow-up and WM-related problems in the classroom at 5-month follow-up. Moreover, the findings showed a bidirectional relationship between arithmetic performance and WM-related problematic behaviour. Discussion This study highlights that relationships between the teacher and students play an important role in supporting students' cognitive and academic development. Importantly, this study suggests that children with WM problems may benefit from interventions that focus on improving their relationships with teachers. Additionally, the findings propose that interventions targeting WM may also have positive effects on children's academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sankalaite
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mariëtte Huizinga
- Department of Educational and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Petra Warreyn
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jolien Dewandeleer
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dieter Baeyens
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Yan S, Li M, Yan Z, Hu B, Zeng L, Lv B. Associations among teacher-child interaction, children's executive function and children's comprehensible vocabulary. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1077634. [PMID: 36969678 PMCID: PMC10030885 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1077634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To understand the working mechanism and the relationships among the quality of teacher-child interaction (TCI), children's comprehensible vocabulary (CV) and executive function (EF). Methods Using stratified sampling, 900 children (boys 50.2%) and 60 preschool teachers were recruited from 4 places in China for testing, and five measurement tools, including the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-R), the Stroop test, a card sorting task, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), were used. Results For every additional unit of TCI, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of EF, CV increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, TCI increases by 0.38 units; For every additional unit of TCI, CV increases by 0.38 units. In the Model of TCI-EF-CV, the estimated value of TCI and the total effect of comprehensible vocabulary is 0.18; Z = 9.84, which is significantly greater than 1.96 at the bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and at the percentile 95% confidence interval (0.15, 0.23), both of which do not contain 0. The direct effect of TCI and CV is significant and indirect effects account for 39%. In the Model of TCI-CV-EF, the total effect of TCI on executive function is 0.09 (Z = 6.14), the direct effect is not significant with bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and 95% confidence interval (-0.01, 0.03), both of which include 0. Conclusion There are two-way effects among children's EF and CV, TCI and CV. EF plays a mediating role in the influence of TCI on CV. TCI positively predicts children's EF, but this mainly depends on CV. Therefore, TCI plays a positive role in the development of children's CV and EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Yan
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Min Li
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhonglian Yan
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Biying Hu
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Li Zeng
- Faculty of Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bo Lv
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Hughes C, Foley S, Browne W, McHarg G, Devine RT. Developmental links between executive function and emotion regulation in early toddlerhood. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 71:101782. [PMID: 36796156 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Developmental associations between poor executive function (EF) and problem behaviors in toddlerhood indicate that the interplay between cognition and affect begins very early in life (Hughes, Devine, Mesman, & Blair, 2020). However, very few longitudinal studies of toddlers have included direct measures of both EF and emotion regulation (ER). In addition, while models of ER highlight the importance of situational contexts (e.g., Miller, McDonough, Rosenblum, Sameroff, 2005), existing work is limited by a heavy reliance on lab-based observations of mother-child dyads. Addressing these twin gaps, the current study of 197 families included video-based ratings of ER in toddlers' dyadic play with both mothers and fathers at each of two time-points (14- and 24-months), with parallel measures of EF being gathered in each home visit. Our cross-lagged analyses showed that EF at 14 months predicted ER at 24 months, but this association was limited to observations of toddlers with mothers. It was also asymmetric: ER at 14 months did not predict EF at 24 months. These findings support co-regulation models of early ER and highlight the predictive utility of very early individual differences in EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hughes
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Sarah Foley
- Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Wendy Browne
- Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Rory T Devine
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Jirout JJ, Eisen S, Robertson ZS, Evans TM. Mother-child synchrony is high across child executive function levels for both physical and digital spatial play. Trends Neurosci Educ 2022; 29:100183. [PMID: 36470613 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Play is a powerful influence on children's learning and parents can provide opportunities to learn specific content by scaffolding children's play. Parent-child synchrony (i.e., harmony, reciprocity and responsiveness in interactions) is a component of parent-child interactions that is not well characterized in studies of play. PROCEDURES We tested whether children's executive function relates to mother-child synchrony during physical and digital play in sixty mother-child dyads. MAIN FINDINGS Mother-child synchrony did not relate to children's executive function or differ by play type (physical, digital), though during digital play mother-child synchrony was higher for girls relative to boys. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that mother-child synchrony is not influenced by children's executive function and physical and digital play can be similarly beneficial in offering the opportunity for responsive, reciprocal, dynamic interactions. The sex difference suggests that further factors should be explored as influences of play synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie J Jirout
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, 405 Emmet Street South, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States.
| | - Sierra Eisen
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, United States
| | - Zoe S Robertson
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, United States
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, 405 Emmet Street South, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States
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Yu Y, Ma Q, Groth SW. Association between maternal psychological factors and offspring executive function: analysis of African-American mother-child dyads. Pediatr Res 2022; 92:1051-1058. [PMID: 35505078 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02084-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive function (EF) develops throughout childhood and adolescence; however, little is known about whether and how early life factors are associated with EF during these two stages. This secondary analysis examined the associations between maternal psychological characteristics at 2 years after childbirth and offspring EF at 6 and 18 years. METHODS Data were from the 18-year New Mothers' Study in Memphis, TN. Women who self-identified as African-American were included (mother-child dyads: N = 414). Maternal psychological characteristics (e.g., depressive symptoms, self-esteem) were assessed using standardized questionnaires; offspring EF at 6 (i.e., working memory, response inhibition) and 18 years (e.g., working memory, sustained attention) were assessed using age-appropriate cognitive tasks. Statistical analyses included principal component analysis (PCA) and regression models. RESULTS PCA reduced the correlated psychological characteristics to two factors: emotionality (depressive symptoms, emotional instability) and psychological resources (self-esteem, mastery, active coping). After controlling for maternal IQ, maternal emotionality was associated with worse working memory and response inhibition (marginally significant) at 6 years. Maternal psychological resources were marginally associated with better working memory at 6 years. CONCLUSIONS Maternal psychological characteristics may be associated with later EF in offspring. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings and to explore potential mediators. IMPACT African-American mothers' depressive symptoms and emotional instability at 2 years after childbirth were associated with offspring executive function at 6 and 18 years. African-American mothers' psychological resources at 2 years after childbirth were marginally associated with offspring working memory at 6 years. Maternal IQ attenuated all of the associations observed between maternal psychological status and offspring executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Qianheng Ma
- School of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, 5841S Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Susan W Groth
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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Mattson JT, Thorne JC, Kover ST. [Formula: see text]Parental interaction style, child engagement, and emerging executive function in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Child Neuropsychol 2022; 28:853-877. [PMID: 34978272 PMCID: PMC10686097 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.2023122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are known to experience cognitive and neurobehavioral difficulties, including in areas of executive function and social skills development. Interventions for these challenges have focused on a number of areas, including parent-based training. Despite the general consensus that specific parenting styles consistent with an "authoritative" - warm but firm - parenting approach may influence behavioral self-regulation, it is not known what specific parental interaction styles are associated with child engagement and emerging executive function in this population. The current study used an observation-based behavioral coding scheme during parent-child play interactions and associated parent report-based executive function measures in children with FASD. Here, we demonstrate that parental interaction styles with increased responsive/child-oriented behavior and parental affect are associated with higher levels of child play engagement, while parental interaction that has increased achievement-orientation is associated with higher levels of emerging executive function in children with FASD. These findings help inform future studies on behavioral targets in parent-based training programs and highlight the importance of considering certain parental interaction styles during parent-child play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia T. Mattson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - John C. Thorne
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sara T. Kover
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Longitudinal Pathways from Mothers’ and Fathers’ Warmth and Control to Children’s Social and Academic Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Children’s Executive Functioning Difficulty. ADONGHAKOEJI 2022. [DOI: 10.5723/kjcs.2022.43.3.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: This study examined longitudinal pathways from mothers’ and fathers’ warmth and control to children’s prosocial and externalizing problem behaviors as well as academic outcome. The study also explored whether children’s executive functioning difficulty plays the mediating role in the links between mothers’ and fathers’ parenting behaviors and children’s social and academic outcomes.Methods: Participants were 1,671 children and their parents which were retrieved from the Panel Study on Korean Children. Direct relations between parenting variables and children’s social and academic outcomes were examined. Indirect effects of children’s executive functioning difficulty were also investigated in these associations. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the longitudinal relations among maternal and paternal parenting behaviors, children’s executive functioning difficulty, and their social and academic outcomes. The bootstrapping method was also used to examine the indirect effects of children’s executive functioning difficulty in the links between parenting variables and children’s social and academic outcomes.Results: Mothers' and fathers' warm parenting was negatively related to children’s executive functioning difficulty, which in turn predicted their subsequent prosocial and externalizing problem behaviors, as well as academic outcome. Moreover, indirect relations between parenting variables and children’s social and academic outcomes via children’s executive functioning difficulty were found.Conclusion: The result of this study suggests the importance of parental warmth in children's social and academic outcomes. The present results also emphasize the role of children’s executive functioning difficulty as the pivotal mechanism that explains how mothers’ and fathers’ warm parenting predicts subsequent children’s outcomes in social and academic domains.
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Kallia E, Dermitzaki I, Paraskeva V, Bonoti F, Nisiotou I. A six months’ prospective study of the relations between children’s self-regulated learning skills and maternal supportive behaviors. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Ahmed SF, Chaku N, Waters NE, Ellis A, Davis-Kean PE. Developmental cascades and educational attainment. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 64:289-326. [PMID: 37080672 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Developmental cascades describe how systems of development interact and influence one another to shape human development across the lifespan. Despite its popularity, developmental cascades are commonly used to understand the developmental course of psychopathology, typically in the context of risk and resilience. Whether this framework can be useful for studying children's educational outcomes remains underexplored. Therefore, in this chapter, we provide an overview of how developmental cascades can be used to study children's academic development, with a particular focus on the biological, cognitive, and contextual pathways to educational attainment. We also provide a summary of contemporary statistical methods and highlight existing data sets that can be used to test developmental cascade models of educational attainment from birth through adulthood. We conclude the chapter by discussing the challenges of this research and explore important future directions of using developmental cascades to understand educational attainment.
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Sankalaite S, Huizinga M, Dewandeleer J, Xu C, de Vries N, Hens E, Baeyens D. Strengthening Executive Function and Self-Regulation Through Teacher-Student Interaction in Preschool and Primary School Children: A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2021; 12:718262. [PMID: 34489822 PMCID: PMC8417378 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.718262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) and self-regulation (SR) are fundamental for children's learning, school functioning and academic achievement. EF/SR fail to develop to its full potential if contextual stimulation is not adequately presented. This is evident in the training programmes directly and exclusively targeting EF/SR stimulation, which lack durable and transferable effects. Therefore, recent research has shifted the attention towards malleable environmental factors; more specifically, to the role of school and classroom environment as an important developmental context for promoting children's EF/SR skills and, in turn, their cognition and behaviour. Numerous observational studies have shown a correlation between the quality of teacher-student relationship (TSR) at the dyadic level or teacher-student interaction (TSI) at the classroom level and children's EF/SR skills. To explore the direction of this association, the objective of this systematic literature review was to examine the causal effect of experiments and interventions that aim to improve children's EF/SR by manipulating the TSI. Overall, the results from 18 included studies indicated that children in treatment groups show higher gains, albeit small-sized, in EF/SR performance compared to controls. Furthermore, TSI manipulation seemed to affect children's SR skills more strongly than children's EF skills. More importantly, the findings revealed the largest effects of these manipulations in children considered vulnerable or disadvantaged, suggesting that the cognitive deficits can be minimised if these children are supported appropriately. Given high study heterogeneity, this review highlights the need for more research (and interventions) explicitly investigating TSI and TSR and their potential impact on EF and SR in children. This study aims to provide information as to which specific aspects need to be examined more closely, instructing further development and implementation of efficient and effective interventions in education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sankalaite
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mariëtte Huizinga
- Department of Educational and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jolien Dewandeleer
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Canmei Xu
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicky de Vries
- Department of Educational and Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Emma Hens
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dieter Baeyens
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Morgan G, Curtin M, Botting N. The interplay between early social interaction, language and executive function development in deaf and hearing infants. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 64:101591. [PMID: 34090007 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we review the influence of early social interaction on the development of executive function and language in infants. We first define social interaction, executive function and language and show how they are related in infant development. Studies of children born deaf are used to illustrate this connection because they represent cases where there has been a disruption to early social interaction and the development of intersubjectivity. Unlike other groups, the disturbance to development is known to be largely environmental rather than neuro-biological. This enables us to more accurately tease apart those impacts on EF that are associated with social interaction and language, since the potential confounds of disordered cognitive development are largely controlled for. The review offers a unifying model for how social, cognitive and linguistic development work together in early human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Morgan
- Dept. Language and Communication Science, City University of London, UK.
| | - Martina Curtin
- Dept. Language and Communication Science, City University of London, UK
| | - Nicola Botting
- Dept. Language and Communication Science, City University of London, UK
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Davies C, Hendry A, Gibson SP, Gliga T, McGillion M, Gonzalez-Gomez N. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) during COVID-19 boosts growth in language and executive function. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2021; 30:e2241. [PMID: 34220356 PMCID: PMC8236989 DOI: 10.1002/icd.2241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
High‐quality, centre‐based education and care during the early years benefit cognitive development, especially in children from disadvantaged backgrounds. During the COVID‐19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns, access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) was disrupted. We investigate how this period affected the developmental advantages typically offered by ECEC. Using parent‐report data from 189 families living in the UK, we explore associations between time spent in ECEC by 8‐to‐36‐month‐olds, their socioeconomic background, and their growth in language and executive functions between Spring and Winter 2020. Receptive vocabulary growth was greater in children who continued to attend ECEC during the period, with a stronger positive effect for children from less advantaged backgrounds. The growth of cognitive executive functions (CEFs) was boosted by ECEC attendance during the period, regardless of socioeconomic background. Our findings highlight the importance of high‐quality ECEC for the development of key skills and for levelling socioeconomic inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Davies
- School of Languages, Cultures, and Societies University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Alexandra Hendry
- Department of Experimental Psychology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Teodora Gliga
- School of Psychology University of East Anglia Norwich UK
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Werchan DM, Amso D. All contexts are not created equal: Social stimuli win the competition for organizing reinforcement learning in 9-month-old infants. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13088. [PMID: 33484594 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Previous work has shown that infants as young as 8 months of age can use certain features of the environment, such as the shape or color of visual stimuli, as cues to organize simple inputs into hierarchical rule structures, a robust form of reinforcement learning that supports generalization of prior learning to new contexts. However, especially in cluttered naturalistic environments, there are an abundance of potential cues that can be used to structure learning into hierarchical rule structures. It is unclear how infants determine what features constitute a higher-order context to organize inputs into hierarchical rule structures. Here, we examine whether 9-month-old infants are biased to use social stimuli, relative to non-social stimuli, as a higher-order context to organize learning of simple visuospatial inputs into hierarchical rule sets. Infants were presented with four face/color-target location pairings, which could be learned most simply as individual associations. Alternatively, infants could use the faces or colorful backgrounds as a higher-order context to organize the inputs into simpler color-location or face-location rules, respectively. Infants were then given a generalization test designed to probe how they learned the initial pairings. The results indicated that infants appeared to use the faces as a higher-order context to organize simpler color-location rules, which then supported generalization of learning to new face contexts. These findings provide new evidence that infants are biased to organize reinforcement learning around social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise M Werchan
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dima Amso
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Lam BPW, Griffin ZM, Marquardt TP. Performance Differences Between Native and Non-Native Speakers on a New Happy-Sad Executive Function Measure. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2020; 36:965-975. [PMID: 33372962 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acaa124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The happy-sad task adapts the classic day-night task by incorporating two early acquired emotional concepts ("happy" and "sad") and demonstrates elevated inhibitory demands for native speakers. The task holds promise as a new executive function measure for assessing inhibitory control across the lifespan, but no studies have examined the influence of language of test administration on performance. METHOD Seventy adult native English speakers and 50 non-native speakers completed the computerized day-night and the new happy-sad tasks administered in English. In two conditions, participants were categorized pictorial stimuli either in a congruent manner ("happy" for a happy face) or in a more challenging, incongruent manner ("sad" for a happy face). Lexical decision performance was obtained to estimate levels of English language proficiency. RESULTS Native speakers and non-native speakers performed comparably except for the critical incongruent condition of the happy-sad task, where native speakers responded more slowly. A greater congruency effect for the happy-sad task was found for native than for non-native speakers. Lexical decision performance was associated with performance on the challenging incongruent conditions. CONCLUSION This study reinforced the usefulness of the happy-sad task as a new measure in evaluating inhibitory control in adult native-speakers. However, the language of test administration needs to be considered in assessment because it may lead to performance differences between native and non-native speakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boji P W Lam
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, The University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Zenzi M Griffin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Thomas P Marquardt
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas-Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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McHarg G, Ribner AD, Devine RT, Hughes C. Screen Time and Executive Function in Toddlerhood: A Longitudinal Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:570392. [PMID: 33192857 PMCID: PMC7643631 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.570392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Technology is pervasive in homes with young children. Emerging evidence that electronic screen-based media use has adverse effects on executive functions may help explain negative relations between media use and early academic skills. However, longitudinal investigations are needed to test this idea. In a sample of 193 British toddlers tracked from age 2 to 3 years, we test concurrent and predictive relations between screen use and children’s executive function. We find no concurrent association between screen use and executive function; however, screen time at age 2 is negatively associated with the development of executive functions in toddlerhood from age 2 to 3, controlling for a range of covariates including verbal ability. Implications for parenting, education, and pediatric recommendations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle McHarg
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D Ribner
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rory T Devine
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Hughes
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Lombardi CM, Dearing E. Maternal Support of Children's Math Learning in Associations Between Family Income and Math School Readiness. Child Dev 2020; 92:e39-e55. [PMID: 32797635 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study examined maternal support of children's math learning at 36 months (n = 140) as a mediator of the association between early childhood family income and children's counting and calculation skills at 4½ and 6-7 years. Family income was associated with this measure of children's math school readiness, but the association was almost entirely indirect and mediated by observed maternal support of children's numerical skills at 36 months. Maternal support of children's spatial concept and general learning (cognitive stimulation and sensitivity) were not significant mediators of this association. Results suggest that income-based gaps in counting and calculation skills at school entry may be due in part to the constraints that low family income places on early numerical learning support.
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Cuartas J, Jeong J, Rey-Guerra C, McCoy DC, Yoshikawa H. Maternal, paternal, and other caregivers' stimulation in low- and- middle-income countries. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236107. [PMID: 32649702 PMCID: PMC7351158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Globally, studies have shown associations between maternal stimulation and early child development. Yet, little is known about the prevalence of paternal and other caregivers’ stimulation practices, particularly in low- and- middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods Data from the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) and the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) were combined across 62 LMICs (2010–2018). The sample included 205,150 mothers of children aged 3 and 4 years. High levels of stimulation were defined as caregiver engagement in at least 4 out of 6 possible activities with the child. The proportion of mothers, fathers, and other caregivers providing high levels of stimulation was calculated by country, region, and for the whole sample. Socioeconomic disparities within and between countries were estimated. Results On average, 39.8% (95% CI 37.4 to 42.2) of mothers, 11.9% (95% CI 10.1 to 13.8) of fathers, and 20.7% (95% CI 18.4 to 23.0) of other adult caregivers provided high levels of stimulation. Stimulation varied by region, country income group, and Human Development Index (HDI), with higher levels of maternal and paternal–but not other caregivers’–stimulation in high-income and high-HDI countries. Within countries, stimulation levels were, on average, lower in the poorest relative to the richest households, and some but not all countries exhibited differences by child sex (i.e., boys vs. girls) or area (i.e., urban vs. rural). Conclusions Results suggest a need for intervention efforts that focus on increasing caregiver stimulation in LMICs, particularly for fathers and in low-income contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Cuartas
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Joshua Jeong
- T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Catalina Rey-Guerra
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dana Charles McCoy
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hirokazu Yoshikawa
- Steinhardt, New York University and Global TIES for Children, New York City, New York, United States of America
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Do executive functions mediate the link between socioeconomic status and numeracy skills? A cross-site comparison of Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 194:104734. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Lengua LJ, Thompson SF, Moran LR, Zalewski M, Ruberry EJ, Klein MR, Kiff CJ. Pathways from early adversity to later adjustment: Tests of the additive and bidirectional effects of executive control and diurnal cortisol in early childhood. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:545-558. [PMID: 31072416 PMCID: PMC6842411 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419000373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Additive and bidirectional effects of executive control and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation on children's adjustment were examined, along with the effects of low income and cumulative risk on executive control and the HPA axis. The study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of preschool age children (N = 306, 36-39 months at Time 1) whose families were recruited to overrepresent low-income contexts. We tested the effects of low income and cumulative risk on levels and growth of executive control and HPA axis regulation (diurnal cortisol level), the bidirectional effects of executive control and the HPA axis on each other, and their additive effects on children's adjustment problems, social competence and academic readiness. Low income predicted lower Time 4 executive control, and cumulative risk predicted lower Time 4 diurnal cortisol level. There was little evidence of bidirectional effects of executive control and diurnal cortisol. However, both executive control and diurnal cortisol predicted Time 4 adjustment, suggesting additive effects. There were indirect effects of income on all three adjustment outcomes through executive control, and of cumulative risk on adjustment problems and social competence through diurnal cortisol. The results provide evidence that executive control and diurnal cortisol additively predict children's adjustment and partially account for the effects of income and cumulative risk on adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana J Lengua
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Erika J Ruberry
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Melanie R Klein
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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21
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Maternal use of math facts to support girls' math during card play. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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22
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Blakey E, Matthews D, Cragg L, Buck J, Cameron D, Higgins B, Pepper L, Ridley E, Sullivan E, Carroll DJ. The Role of Executive Functions in Socioeconomic Attainment Gaps: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial. Child Dev 2020; 91:1594-1614. [PMID: 32031254 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The socioeconomic attainment gap in mathematics starts early and increases over time. This study aimed to examine why this gap exists. Four-year-olds from diverse backgrounds were randomly allocated to a brief intervention designed to improve executive functions (N = 87) or to an active control group (N = 88). The study was preregistered and followed CONSORT guidelines. Executive functions and mathematical skills were measured at baseline, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year posttraining. Executive functions mediated the relation between socioeconomic status and mathematical skills. Children improved over training, but this did not transfer to untrained executive functions or mathematics. Executive functions may explain socioeconomic attainment gaps, but cognitive training directly targeting executive functions is not an effective way to narrow this gap.
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Chen C, Chen C, Xue G, Dong Q, Zhao L, Zhang S. Parental warmth interacts with several genes to affect executive function components: a genome-wide environment interaction study. BMC Genet 2020; 21:11. [PMID: 32019487 PMCID: PMC7001336 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-020-0819-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Executive function (EF) is vital to human beings. It has been linked to many genes and family environmental factors in separate studies, but few studies have examined the potential interactions between gene(s) and environmental factor(s). The current study explored the whole genome to identify SNPs, genes, and pathways that interacted with parental warmth (PW) on EF. Results Nine EF tasks were used to measure its three components (common EF, updating, shifting) based on the model proposed by Miyake et al. (2000). We found that rs111605473, LAMP5, SLC4A7, and LRRK1 interacted significantly with PW to affect the updating component of EF, and the GSE43955 pathway interacted significantly with PW to affect the common EF component. Conclusions The current study is the first to identify genes that interacted with PW to affect EF. Further studies are needed to reveal the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Libo Zhao
- Department of Psychology, BeiHang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Shudong Zhang
- Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Ribeiro LA, Casey B, Dearing E, Nordahl KB, Aguiar C, Zachrisson H. Early Maternal Spatial Support for Toddlers and Math Skills in Second Grade. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2020.1717494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa A. Ribeiro
- The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, Norway
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, Research Centre for Human Development, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal
| | - Beth Casey
- Boston College, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
| | - Eric Dearing
- The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, Norway
- Boston College, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
| | | | - Cecília Aguiar
- Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-IUL, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Henrik Zachrisson
- The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development, Norway
- Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Norway
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Escolano-Pérez E, Acero-Ferrero M, Herrero-Nivela ML. Improvement of Planning Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder After an Educational Intervention: A Study From a Mixed Methods Approach. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2824. [PMID: 31920859 PMCID: PMC6930833 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The literature confirms that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have planning deficits. However, few interventions have targeted these deficits. The aims of this study were to: (1) show that the mixed methods approach can be useful in studying planning skills of children with ASD during and after an educational intervention; (2) assess whether the planning skills of two groups of children with ASD improved during the intervention and if this progress was maintained 1 month after completing the intervention. The groups were formed depending on each child’s severity level (SL) of ASD according to DSM-5: SL1 (requiring support) and SL2 (requiring substantial support). Each group was composed of four children. In the framework of mixed methods, we used observational methodology, which is considered as mixed methods in itself because it integrates qualitative and quantitative elements. A nomothetic/follow-up/multidimensional observational design was used. Planning skills manifested by children during the intervention were codified, as well as the scaffolding behaviors provided by the educational specialist. These skills and behaviors were also coded in one session, which took place 1 month after the intervention. Coded data of each group were submitted to prospective and retrospective lag sequential analysis. This informed of the sequential structure of planning skills performed by children in interaction with the educational specialist at the beginning and at the end of the intervention, as well as 1 month later after the intervention. The comparison of the patterns obtained in these three temporal moments allowed us to know the improvement of the two groups in the use of planning skills. Results showed that both groups improved their autonomous use of planning skills. However, SL1 group used successfully and autonomously complex planning skills, while SL2 group were unable to achieve this gain. SL2 group progressed in autonomy, but only using basic planning skills. Both groups can further improve their use of planning skills; therefore, the intervention should be adjusted to their characteristics and temporarily extended. These findings contribute to the, as yet, little studied field of intervention and assessment of planning skills in children with ASD using a mixed methods approach.
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Zahodne LB, Sharifian N, Manly JJ, Sumner JA, Crowe M, Wadley VG, Howard VJ, Murchland AR, Brenowitz WD, Weuve J. Life course biopsychosocial effects of retrospective childhood social support and later-life cognition. Psychol Aging 2019; 34:867-883. [PMID: 31566397 PMCID: PMC6829036 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Social support during childhood lays the foundation for social relationships throughout the life course and has been shown to predict a wide range of mental and physical health outcomes. Social support measured in late life is prospectively associated with better cognitive aging, but few studies have evaluated social support received earlier in the life course. We quantified the effects of childhood social support, reported retrospectively, on later-life cognitive trajectories and investigated biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying these associations. Latent growth curve models estimated 10-year cognitive trajectories in 8,538 participants (baseline ages 45-93; Mage = 63) in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) project. Independent of sociodemographics, childhood socioeconomic status, and household size, greater retrospective childhood social support was associated with better initial episodic memory, but not verbal fluency or cognitive change, in later adulthood. Associations with initial memory level were mediated by sociodemographic and psychosocial variables; specifically, those who reported greater childhood social support reported higher educational attainment and had better physical and emotional health in adulthood, which were each associated with better memory. These results provide support for broad and enduring effects of childhood social support on mental, physical, and cognitive health decades later. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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27
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Rosen ML, Amso D, McLaughlin KA. The role of the visual association cortex in scaffolding prefrontal cortex development: A novel mechanism linking socioeconomic status and executive function. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 39:100699. [PMID: 31446376 PMCID: PMC6783336 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with executive function (EF) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) development. However, understanding of the specific aspects of SES that influence development of EF and the PFC remains limited. We briefly review existing literature on proposed mechanisms linking SES with EF. Then, we present a novel conceptual model arguing that early cognitive stimulation shapes EF and PFC development. We propose that cognitive stimulation drives lower-level sensory and perceptual processes that may impact EF and PFC development through reciprocal connections between the ventral visual stream and PFC. We argue that caregivers guide attention and associative learning, which provides children the opportunity to regulate attention and gain semantic knowledge. This experience in turn allows for opportunities to train the PFC to resolve conflict between stimuli with overlapping features and engage in increasingly complex computations as visual processing systems develop; this may lay the groundwork for development of EF. We review existing evidence for this model and end by highlighting how this conceptual model could launch future research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya L Rosen
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, United States; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, United States.
| | - Dima Amso
- Cognitive, Linguistics, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, United States
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Sharifian N, Zahodne LB. The Enduring Effects of Mother-Child Interactions on Episodic Memory in Adulthood. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2019; 81:936-952. [PMID: 31937977 PMCID: PMC6959214 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the enduring effects of retrospective reports of early life mother-child interactions on psychosocial and cognitive functioning later in life. BACKGROUND Mother-child interactions have been linked to cognitive outcomes in childhood, however, little work has examined whether early life mother-child interactions have far-reaching effects on episodic memory in adulthood. Early life mother-child interactions may also influence cognitive functioning in adulthood indirectly through the development of academic competence (education attainment), social competence (marital satisfaction, social support, contact frequency), and/or depressive symptoms. METHODS Using longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study sibling respondents (1993-2011; baseline: 29-79 years), we examined how retrospective positive mother-child interactions (PMCI) and negative mother-child interactions (NMCI) were independently associated with episodic memory. Structural equation modeling was used to model direct and indirect pathways from PMCI and NMCI to episodic memory and latent change in episodic memory. RESULTS More PMCI retrospectively reported at T1 were associated with higher T2 memory and less memory decline from T2 to T3 via higher education. Additionally, more PMCI were associated with higher T2 memory through greater marital satisfaction. Independent of these indirect effects, more PMCI and NMCI were each associated with higher T2 memory, but not memory change. CONCLUSION Mother-child interactions appeared to have an enduring effect on episodic memory in adulthood. These findings highlight the importance of taking a more integrative and lifespan perspective to assess how early life experiences affect socioemotional and cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neika Sharifian
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI
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Lee DB, Assari S, Miller AL, Hsieh HF, Heinze JE, Zimmerman MA. Positive Parenting Moderates the Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Executive Functioning: A Three-Generation Approach. JOURNAL OF CHILD AND FAMILY STUDIES 2019; 28:1878-1885. [PMID: 31656391 PMCID: PMC6814170 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-019-01411-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While low parental socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with lower levels of child executive functioning (EF), few have examined the intergenerational effect of SES on child EF across three generations. We adopt a resilience framework to investigate positive parenting as a protective factor in the intergenerational effect of low SES on child EF. METHODS In a sample of 50 parents (70% female) and their oldest child (56% female, M age = 12.38) from the Flint Adolescent Study, we estimated the effect of grandparent SES on child EF (i.e., Animal Sorting, Inhibition, Inhibition Switching) and examined the protective role of positive parenting using a multivariate regression model. RESULTS Lower levels of grandparent SES was associated with lower levels of cognitive flexibility (i.e., Animal Sorting), but not inhibition (i.e., Inhibition, Inhibition Switching), at low levels of positive parenting. CONCLUSION These findings indicate the varied ways by which intergenerational SES may shape child EF. Further, positive parenting may offset the intergenerational influence of SES on child EF outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B. Lee
- Children’s Minnesota Research Institute, Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Shervin Assari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alison L. Miller
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Hsing-Fang Hsieh
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Justin E. Heinze
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Marc A. Zimmerman
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Diamond A, Ling DS. Aerobic-Exercise and resistance-training interventions have been among the least effective ways to improve executive functions of any method tried thus far. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 37:100572. [PMID: 29909061 PMCID: PMC6969311 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adele Diamond
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Daphne S Ling
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Bowmer A, Mason K, Knight J, Welch G. Investigating the Impact of a Musical Intervention on Preschool Children's Executive Function. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2389. [PMID: 30618906 PMCID: PMC6307457 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of music interventions on the cognitive skills of young children has become the focus of a growing number of research studies in recent years. This study investigated the effect of weekly musicianship training on the executive function abilities of 3-to-4-year-old children at a London, United Kingdom preschool, using a two-phase experimental design. In Phase 1, 14 children (Group A) took part in eight weekly musicianship classes, provided by a specialist music teacher, while 25 children (Groups B and C combined) engaged in nursery free play. Results of this Phase showed Group A to have improved on two measures relating to planning and inhibition skills. During Phase 2, Group A continued with music classes, while Group B began music classes for the first time and Group C took part in an art intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA found no significant difference in performance improvement between the three participant groups during phase 2; however, the performance difference between groups was nearing significance for the peg tapping task (p = 0.06). The findings from this study contribute to current debates about the potential cognitive benefit of musical interventions, including important issues regarding intervention duration, experimental design, target age groups, executive function testing, and task novelty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bowmer
- UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Mason
- UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Graham Welch
- UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Hughes C, Lindberg A, Devine RT. Autonomy support in toddlerhood: Similarities and contrasts between mothers and fathers. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2018; 32:915-925. [PMID: 30372101 PMCID: PMC6205245 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Infant exploration often hinges on parental autonomy support (i.e., parental behaviors that support children's goals, interests, and choices), a construct that is widely applied in family studies of school-age children and adolescents but less studied in infants and toddlers. Notable gaps concern the equivalence, similarities, and contrasts between mothers' and fathers' autonomy support and the correlates of individual differences in autonomy support. To address these underresearched topics, we conducted parallel home-based structured play observations of 195 infants (Mage = 14.42 months, SD = .59) in dyadic interaction with mothers and fathers. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated measurement invariance across parent gender, enabling comparisons that revealed significantly moderately higher levels of autonomy support in mothers than in fathers. Individual differences in autonomy support were unrelated to either parental personality or child temperament, highlighting the potential importance of dyadic characteristics. Consistent with this view, whereas maternal autonomy support did not differ by child gender, fathers with sons displayed less autonomy support than did fathers with daughters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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Meuwissen AS, Carlson SM. The role of father parenting in children's school readiness: A longitudinal follow-up. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2018; 32:588-598. [PMID: 29927281 PMCID: PMC6072566 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mother autonomy support has been shown to predict child executive function (EF) and school readiness; however, little is known about the influence of father parenting on these child outcomes. The current study is a longitudinal follow-up examining the bidirectional relations between father parenting and child EF/school readiness across the preschool period. Eighty-nine father-child dyads participated at 2 time points (mean child ages of 38 and 58 months). The first time point was described in a previous article by Meuwissen and Carlson (2015). At the second time point, we observed fathers' autonomy support in a dyadic puzzle task and quality of parenting during free play in an indoor playground. School readiness included a battery of EF, literacy, and math measures. We found that father autonomy support at Time 1 predicted child school readiness at Time 2, mediated by child language at Time 1. Additionally, child EF at Time 1 inversely predicted father overstimulation during play at Time 2, mediated by father control at Time 1 and child school readiness at Time 2. These results indicate that the relationship of father autonomy support to child EF is similar to what has been found with mothers and that physical play may be an important context for father influence on child outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Lam CB, Chung KKH, Li X. Parental Warmth and Hostility and Child Executive Function Problems: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Families. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1063. [PMID: 30022960 PMCID: PMC6040216 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the longitudinal associations of maternal and paternal warmth and hostility with child executive function problems. Data were collected for two consecutive years from 333 kindergarten children who resided in Hong Kong, China, as well as their mothers, fathers, and class teachers. At Time 1, the average age of children was 57.73 months, and 56% of them were girls. At Time 1, mothers and fathers rated their own parenting practices with their children. At Times 1 and 2, class teachers rated children’s problems in three aspects of executive functions, including updating/working memory, inhibition, and shifting/cognitive flexibility. As control variables, at Time 1, parents provided information on child and family demographic factors, and children completed verbal ability tasks. Multilevel modeling revealed that controlling for child and family demographic factors, child verbal abilities, and paternal parenting practices, maternal hostility, but not maternal warmth, was linked to increases in child inhibition and shifting/cognitive flexibility problems. Moreover, paternal hostility, but not paternal warmth, was linked to increases in updating/working memory problems. Theoretically, this study highlighted the importance of considering the contributions of both mothers and fathers, and differentiating between positive and negative aspects of parenting, when examining the development of child executive functions. Practically, this study pointed to the utility of targeting maternal and paternal hostility in family intervention and community education in order to reduce child executive function problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Bun Lam
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
| | - Kevin Kien Hoa Chung
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaomin Li
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
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Gueron-Sela N, Camerota M, Willoughby MT, Vernon-Feagans L, Cox MJ. Maternal depressive symptoms, mother-child interactions, and children's executive function. Dev Psychol 2018; 54:71-82. [PMID: 28933882 PMCID: PMC5750080 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the independent and mediated associations between maternal depression symptoms (MDS), mother-child interaction, and child executive function (EF) in a prospective longitudinal sample of 1,037 children (50% boys) from predominantly low-income and rural communities. When children were 6, 15 and 24 months of age, mothers reported their level of depressive symptomatology. At 24 and 36 months of age, mother-child interactions during play were rated for warmth-sensitivity and harsh-intrusiveness, and dyadic joint attention and maternal language complexity were assessed from a book sharing activity. Children's EF (i.e., inhibitory control, working memory, and set shifting) were assessed at ages 36 and 48 months using a battery of six tasks. Results indicated that MDS at ages 15 and 24 months were negatively associated with children's EF at age 48 months. Additionally, harsh-intrusive mother-child interactions partially mediated this link. Although warmth-sensitivity, dyadic joint attention and maternal language complexity were all longitudinally related to EF, they did not serve as mediating mechanisms between MDS and EF. These results were obtained while controlling for multiple demographic factors, children's earlier cognitive abilities, maternal general distress and childcare experiences. Findings from this study identify 1 mechanism through which early exposure to MDS could be related to children's EF. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Gueron-Sela
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
| | - Marie Camerota
- Camerota, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | | | - Martha J Cox
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Wade M, Jenkins JM, Venkadasalam VP, Binnoon-Erez N, Ganea PA. The role of maternal responsiveness and linguistic input in pre-academic skill development: A longitudinal analysis of pathways. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Dilworth-Bart JE, Poehlmann-Tynan JA, Taub A, Liesen CA, Bolt D. Longitudinal associations between self-regulation and the academic and behavioral adjustment of young children born preterm. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2017; 42:193-204. [PMID: 29403148 PMCID: PMC5796547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Much of the research to date about the structure of self-regulation in early childhood has been conducted with low medical risk samples, with the general conclusion that self-regulation can be separated into overlapping executive function and effortful control factors that differentially predict child outcomes. We examined the factor structure of 36-month self-regulation among children born prematurely (n = 168) and the extent to which self-regulation predicted maternal ratings of children's socioemotional and academic competence when they were six years of age. Statistical analyses revealed a single self-regulation factor for this high neonatal risk sample, and this self-regulation factor mediated associations between early sociodemographic risk and mothers' ratings of academic competence and externalizing problems. Our findings suggest that early intervention research with children born preterm should focus on promoting supportive early environments, particularly parental sensitivity to infant cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janean E Dilworth-Bart
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison when this research was completed
| | - Julie A Poehlmann-Tynan
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison when this research was completed
| | - Amy Taub
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison when this research was completed
| | - Carolyn A Liesen
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison when this research was completed
| | - Daniel Bolt
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison when this research was completed
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Hughes C, Devine RT. For Better or for Worse? Positive and Negative Parental Influences on Young Children's Executive Function. Child Dev 2017; 90:593-609. [PMID: 28800148 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite rapidly growing research on parental influences on children's executive function (EF), the uniqueness and specificity of parental predictors and links between adult EF and parenting remain unexamined. This 13-month longitudinal study of 117 parent-child dyads (60 boys; Mage at Time 1 = 3.94 years, SD = 0.53) included detailed observational coding of parent-child interactions and assessed adult and child EF and child verbal ability (VA). Supporting a differentiated view of parental influence, negative parent-child interactions and parental scaffolding showed unique and specific associations with child EF, whereas the home learning environment and parental language measures showed global associations with children's EF and VA.
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