家庭学习环境对儿童早期学业和社会技能的作用

家庭学习环境作为个体出生后最先接触到的学习环境,对个体早期乃至未来一生的发展都有重要作用。本研究以181名年龄在53~67个月的学前儿童及其母亲为被试,考察了家庭学习环境对儿童早期语言、数学和社会技能的作用。结果发现:(1)控制个体性别、年龄后,家庭学习环境对儿童早期语言、数学和社会技能的解释率分别为9.2%、4.4%和9.6%,均大于家庭社会经济地位和学前教育经历对三方面技能的解释率;(2)进一步控制家庭社会经济地位和学前教育经历后,家庭学习环境仍可显著预测个体早期语言、数学和社会技能,解释率分别为7.4%、3.2%和8.5%;(3)家庭学习环境的不同方面与儿童早期发展不同方面的关系不同。其中,家庭学习活动是儿童早期语言和数学技能的重要预测变量,丰富生活经验是儿童早期社会技能的重要预测变量。     

3-6岁儿童母亲教养行为的结构及其与儿童特征的关系

母亲的教养行为是家庭影响儿童社会化的主要途径。本研究采用母亲教养行为问卷对408名3-6岁儿童母亲的日常教养行为的结构进行了考察;并对其中142名母亲施测了儿童消极行为特征问卷,以进一步探讨儿童年龄、性别、消极行为特征与母亲教养行为特点的关系。研究发现:(1)3-6岁儿童母亲的教养行为包括敏感性、接触与参与、交往指导、认知发展指导、积极情感的表达与消极情感的表达等6个主要成分;(2)儿童的年龄对母亲教养行为的参与程度、促进儿童认知能力发展、积极情感与消极情感表达等方面具有显着影响,儿童性别仅在母亲的敏感性方面具有显着影响;(3)儿童的消极行为特征与母亲教养行为的不同方面具有不同的关系。     

家庭环境对母亲抚养行为的影响

抚养行为是指母亲为满足孩子的基本生理需要,以及培养、训练儿童的基本生活自理能力与生活常规等行为的总和。本研究采用母亲抚养行为问卷和家庭环境调查表对1064名1-6岁儿童的母亲进行了评估和调查。结果表明:(1)家庭结构是影响母亲抚养行为的重要变量,主干家庭的母亲的抚养行为在总体上优于核心家庭;(2)家庭的经济收入在一定程度上影响着母亲的抚养行为;(3)不同年龄儿童的母亲在避免儿童受伤害、训练身体动作和培养生活自理能力等抚养行为方面具有明显差异;(4)母亲的年龄、父母的受教育水平及儿童的性别等因素对母亲的抚养行为没有显著影响     

母亲教育方式与学龄前儿童心理发展的关系研究

本研究以849名学前儿童及其母亲为研究对象,探讨了母亲教育方式与学前儿童心理发展的关系.心理行为发展包括亲社会行为、认知发展、学习能力、焦虑表现、退缩行为、独立性、注意分散、对事物的兴趣等方面,由幼儿的教师进行评价;不同教育方式类型的母亲由聚类分析结果划分.复方差分析及单因素方差分析和多重组间比较的结果表明:来自不同教育方式家庭的儿童其心理的发展存在显着差异,且这种差异不因儿童年龄、性别的变化而变化;来自积极型教育方式家庭中的儿童在心理发展的多方面都优于其他教育方式家庭中的儿童,而处于极端型教育方式中的儿童则在心理发展的各个方面都有较多的不良表现,来自严厉型、成就压力型和溺爱型家庭的儿童也在不同侧面存在或多或少的发展问题.     

母亲鼓励自主与学步儿的探索行为:依恋的调节作用

探索行为是婴幼儿从外部环境获取信息、促进认知发展的重要方式和途径。本研究采用家庭半结构观察和实验室陌生情境技术考察66名14个月母婴对中母亲的鼓励自主水平、儿童依恋类型与学步儿探索行为的关系。结果发现:在控制家庭社会经济地位(SES)及儿童气质困难度后,(1)母亲鼓励自主显著正向预测探索操作总频次、探索操作种类、探索坚持性;(2)儿童依恋类型显著负向预测探索操作总频次,正向预测探索操作平均时长;(3)学步儿依恋类型可以显著地调节母亲鼓励自主对学步儿探索能力的作用,表现为母亲鼓励自主行为能显著正向预测安全型依恋学步儿的探索能力;当学步儿为不安全依恋时,母亲鼓励自主行为对婴儿探索能力的预测作用不显著。结论:母亲鼓励自主行为能够促进婴幼儿的探索行为,且儿童依恋安全性对这一影响具有一定的促进作用。     

学前教育年限与母亲受教育水平对农村一年级 小学生学校适应的影响

研究采用同伴提名法、教师和家长报告法,对农村135名一年级小学生进行了为期一年的追踪调查,在此基础上,考察了学前教育年限、母亲受教育水平与学校适应之间的关系。结果表明:(1)学前教育年限越长,小学生越多地表现出积极社会行为,但这种优势仅体现在小学入学初期;(2)母亲受教育水平越低,小学生越多地表现出敏感退缩行为和受拒绝同伴关系;(3)对于母亲受教育水平较低的小学生,学前教育年限越长,其攻击冒犯行为越多;而对于母亲受教育水平较高的小学生,学前教育年限越长,其攻击冒犯行为越少。可见,母亲受教育水平与学前教育年限相互作用,共同影响儿童发展结果,且母亲受教育水平的影响作用更为明显。     

2岁儿童延迟性自我控制及家庭因素的相关研究

摘要研究考察2岁儿童延迟性自我控制行为的发展水平及其家庭影响因素。对86名17．5到28．5个月的儿童在画笔和食物为诱惑物的两种延迟满足情境中的行为进行实验室录像观察。同时以问卷法了解其父母教养行为、婚姻质量及亲子关系等家庭因素。结果显示：(1)2岁儿童已经具有延迟性自我控制行为．且存在性别差异。(2)家庭教养态度,尤其是母亲的教养态度对儿童自我控制行为有显著预测作用;(3)母亲所体验到的家庭生活的和谐程度能显著地预测儿童延迟性自我控制行为;(4)在控制了性别、婚姻质量及家庭教养态度后,亲子关系的作用不显著。     

控制与反应:2.5～3岁儿童的母子交往

本研究通过对31名2.5～3岁儿童母子交往的家庭自然观察和对母亲访谈,考察了母子交往中控制与反应行为的关系。结果发现,儿童对母亲控制行为的反应有服从与不服从之分,而不服从行为是其自主性发展的积极信号;母子交往中母亲的控制行为与儿童的反应行为存在复杂的相互作用。     

儿童母亲拒绝与同伴拒绝的关系——一个有中介的调节模型

选取393名儿童及其家长进行问卷调查,考察儿童的母亲拒绝、家庭环境纷杂度、问题行为和同伴拒绝之间的关系。结果发现:(1)在控制了性别、年级、家庭社会经济地位后,母亲拒绝对儿童的同伴拒绝有显著正向预测作用;(2)家庭环境纷杂度调节了母亲拒绝与同伴拒绝之间的关系;(3)儿童外化问题行为在家庭环境纷杂度对母亲拒绝和同伴拒绝关系的调节效应中起完全中介作用。     

儿童母亲拒绝与同伴拒绝的关系—— 一个有中介的调节模型

摘 要 选取393家长进行问卷调查,考察儿童的母亲拒绝、家庭环境纷杂度、问题行为和同伴拒绝之间的关系。结果发现：（1）在控制了性别、年级、家庭社会经济地位后,母亲拒绝对儿童的同伴拒绝有显著正向预测作用;（2）家庭环境纷杂度调节了母亲拒绝与同伴拒绝之间的关系;（3）儿童外化问题行为在家庭环境纷杂度对母亲拒绝和同伴拒绝关系的调节效应中起完全中介作用。     

Like Father,like Child: Early Life Family Adversity and Children’s Bullying Behaviors in Elementary School

Family adversity has been associated with children’s bullying behaviors. The evidence is, however, dominated by mothers’ perceptions of the family environment and a focus on mothers’ behaviors. This prospective population-based study examined whether children’s bullying behaviors were associated with mother- and father-reported family adversity, assessed before and after child birth. Peer-nominations were used to assess bullying behaviors of 1298 children in elementary school (mean age 7.5 years). The following paternal risk factors were prospectively associated with children’s bullying behaviors: (1) father-reported prenatal family distress, (2) fathers’ hostility at preschool age, and (3) fathers’ harsh disciplinary practices at preschool age, but effect sizes were relatively small. The effect of maternal risk factors was less consistent, only mother-reported family distress in childhood was associated with children’s bullying behaviors. The associations were independent of background family risk factors (i.e., life stress, contextual factors, and other background factors such as parental education and risk taking record) and early childhood externalizing problems. Moreover, our results indicated that father-reported family adversity predicted children’s bullying behaviors over and above the background family risk factors, early childhood externalizing problems and mother-reported family adversity. We also demonstrated that the association of fathers’ prenatal hostility and family distress with subsequent bullying behavior of their child at school was partly mediated by fathers’ harsh disciplinary practices at preschool age. Our findings highlight the importance of fathers’ behaviors in the development of children’s bullying behaviors.     

Early parent-child relations and family functioning of preschool boys with pervasive hyperactivity

This study examined the quality of parent–child relationships and family functioning of preschool children with early onset hyperactivity by comparing a community sample of 33 pervasively hyperactive preschool boys with a comparison sample of 34 boys. Mothers and children were assessed at home on a range of interview, parent questionnaire, and observational measures of parenting and family functioning. Results of the study showed that higher rates of reported lax disciplinary practices, less efficient parental coping, lower rates of father–child communication, and less synchronous mother–child interactions were significantly associated with hyperactivity following statistical adjustment for the effects of conduct problems and other confounding factors. The best parenting predictor of hyperactivity was maternal coping. The present findings suggest that the way in which parents interact with their preschool children may make a unique contribution to the development and ongoing behavioral difficulties experienced by children with pervasive hyperactivity. Findings also highlight the importance of considering the role of fathers in the behavioral development of boys with early tendencies to hyperactive and distractible behavior problems.     

儿童早期的母亲生活压力对其5岁行为问题的预测效应：链式中介分析

通过对107名幼儿及其母亲历时5年的5次追踪测量, 考察了儿童早期(9~38个月)母亲生活压力对5岁时儿童行为问题的预测效应及其作用机制。结果发现, 在儿童早期, 母亲生活压力具有相对的稳定性, 但引起母亲生活压力的主要生活事件排序有所变化; 儿童早期母亲生活压力对儿童行为问题的作用机制有两种方式：一方面表现为母亲生活压力对儿童5岁时的情绪症状和品行问题的直接效应; 另一方面表现为通过减少母亲积极养育行为进一步影响儿童情绪症状和同伴问题的间接效应; 此外, 儿童早期母亲生活压力还通过积极养育和儿童努力控制的链式中介作用对儿童过度活跃和亲社会行为产生影响。结论:母亲生活压力对儿童行为问题具有预测效应, 这种效应的机制包括母亲生活压力的直接效应以及通过积极养育、努力控制的间接效应。     

Fathers’ Challenging Parenting Behavior Prevents Social Anxiety Development in Their 4-Year-Old Children: A Longitudinal Observational Study

Recent models on parenting propose different roles for fathers and mothers in the development of child anxiety. Specifically, it is suggested that fathers’ challenging parenting behavior, in which the child is playfully encouraged to push her limits, buffers against child anxiety. In this longitudinal study, we explored whether the effect of challenging parenting on children’s social anxiety differed between fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers from 94 families were separately observed with their two children (44 % girls), aged 2 and 4 years at Time 1, in three structured situations involving one puzzle task and two games. Overinvolved and challenging parenting behavior were coded. Child social anxiety was measured by observing the child’s response to a stranger at Time 1, and half a year later at Time 2, and by parental ratings. In line with predictions, father’s challenging parenting behavior predicted less subsequent observed social anxiety of the 4-year-old child. Mothers’ challenging behavior, however, predicted more observed social anxiety of the 4-year-old. Parents’ overinvolvement at Time 1 did not predict change in observed social anxiety of the 4-year-old child. For the 2-year-old child, maternal and paternal parenting behavior did not predict subsequent social anxiety, but early social anxiety marginally did. Parent-rated social anxiety was predicted by previous parental ratings of social anxiety, and not by parenting behavior. Challenging parenting behavior appears to have favorable effects on observed 4-year-old’s social anxiety when displayed by the father. Challenging parenting behavior emerges as an important focus for future research and interventions.     

Maternal distress during pregnancy and language development in preschool age: A population-based cohort study

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of the prenatal period for children's cognitive development. Prenatal exposure to psychological distress has been identified as one potential agent affecting neurodevelopment, although research in this area has been marked by some contradictory findings and methodological limitations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal distress during pregnancy on language development of preschool children. This study was based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study conducted at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The sample was composed of 34,089 women and their children. We assessed the role of maternal prenatal distress on child language over and above that of premature low birth weight (PLBW) status and postnatal maternal distress. Fear of giving birth had a negative impact on language outcome at age three over and above the effect of PLBW status and postnatal maternal distress. However, this effect was of minimal magnitude. Moreover, when examining whether differences in language skills between siblings were associated with differences in experienced levels of prenatal stress across pregnancies (sibling fixed-effects models), no significant effects were found. Our study suggests that prenatal distress within moderate limits does not seem to have an independent impact on child language performance in the preschool years and emphasizes the importance of considering the contextual role played by more stable maternal and family characteristics.     

FATHER–CHILD INTERACTIONS AT 3 MONTHS AND 24 MONTHS: CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AT 24 MONTHS

The quality of father–child interactions has become a focus of increasing research in the field of child development. We examined the potential contribution of father–child interactions at both 3 months and 24 months to children's cognitive development at 24 months. Observational measures of father–child interactions at 3 and 24 months were used to assess the quality of fathers’ parenting (n = 192). At 24 months, the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition (N. Bayley, 1993 ) measured cognitive functioning. The association between interactions and cognitive development was examined using multiple linear regression analyses, adjusting for paternal age, education and depression, infant age, and maternal sensitivity. Children whose fathers displayed more withdrawn and depressive behaviors in father–infant interactions at 3 months scored lower on the MDI at 24 months. At 24 months, children whose fathers were more engaged and sensitive as well as those whose fathers were less controlling in their interactions scored higher on the MDI. These findings were independent of the effects of maternal sensitivity. Results indicate that father–child interactions, even from a very young age (i.e., 3 months) may influence children's cognitive development. They highlight the potential significance of interventions to promote positive parenting by fathers and policies that encourage fathers to spend more time with their young children.     

Moderators of the Relationship Between Maternal Substance Abuse Symptoms and Preschool Children’s Behavioral Outcomes

While maternal substance use problems increase the likelihood of behavior problems in children, child outcomes are varied, leading to interest in understanding additional family factors that contribute to the development of behavior problems in children impacted by maternal substance abuse. The purpose of this study is to examine harsh parenting and family conflict as potential moderators of the relationship between symptoms of maternal substance use problems and child externalizing behavior problems. The non-clinical sample for this study included 250 low-income parents whose preschool age children were enrolled in Head Start programs in a Southern state. This study utilized data collected during two home visits, an average of 10 months apart, with data on family functioning and maternal symptoms of substance use problems collected at the first time point and child externalizing behavior collected at the second time point. Over one-third of the children (38.1 %) had clinically elevated externalizing behavior scores. We used regression analysis to examine whether harsh parenting or family conflict moderated the relationship between maternal substance use symptoms and child externalizing behavior. In this community sample, we found that in the absence of family risks related to harsh parenting and family conflict, maternal symptoms of substance use problems did not have a significant impact on child externalizing behavior in preschool children. However, when high levels of family conflict or harsh parenting were present, symptoms of maternal substance use problems increased the risk of externalizing behavior problems in children.     

More than Just the Breadwinner: The Effects of Fathers' Parenting Stress on Children's Language and Cognitive Development

Despite numerous studies on parenting stress suggesting negative influences on parent–child interactions and children's development, the majority of these studies focus on mothers' parenting stress with little or no acknowledgement of fathers. Using data from the National Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, this study examined (i) the effects of fathers' parenting stress during toddlerhood on children's language and cognitive outcomes when children are 3 years old (ii) whether the effects of fathers' parenting stress on children's language and cognitive development vary by child gender? Results from mixed linear models showed fathers' parenting stress predicted children's lower cognitive scores, but there were no gender differences in the effects of fathers' parenting stress on children's cognitive outcomes. In the language domain, boys, not girls, were found to be more susceptible to the effects of fathers' parenting stress. These findings indicated that fathers, in addition to mothers, should be included in early parenting research and interventions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mediators and Moderators of the Relation between Parental ADHD Symptomatology and the Early Development of Child ADHD and ODD Symptoms

The present study examined mediators and moderators of the relation between parental ADHD symptomatology and the development of child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms across the preschool years. Participants included 258 (138 boys) 3-year-old children (M = 44.13 months, SD = 3.39) with and without behavior problems and their parents who took part in a 3-year longitudinal study. Maternal ADHD symptoms predicted later ADHD symptoms in children, controlling for early child symptomatology. Both family history of ADHD and paternal comorbid psychopathology predicted later child ADHD and ODD symptoms, but they did not account for the association between maternal and child ADHD symptoms. Although paternal ADHD symptoms were associated with age 3 child ADHD symptoms, they did not significantly predict later child ADHD symptoms controlling for early symptomatology. Family adversity moderated the relation between maternal ADHD and child ADHD symptoms, such that the relation between maternal and child ADHD symptoms was stronger for families with less adversity. Maternal overreactive parenting mediated the relation between maternal ADHD symptoms and later child ADHD and ODD symptoms. Our findings suggest that targeting paternal comorbid psychopathology and maternal parenting holds promise for attenuating the effects of parental ADHD on children’s ADHD.     

FATHER–CHILD PLAY DURING THE PRESCHOOL YEARS AND CHILD INTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS: BETWEEN ROBUSTNESS AND VULNERABILITY

Play observations with a total of 400 toddlers and preschoolers were videotaped and rated for Intensity and Quality of play with their parents. Parents were asked about perceived stress and personality characteristics (Big 5). Child's motor, cognitive skills, temperament, and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Study 1 investigated the robustness of play across child age and gender, and examined differences between fathers and mothers. Study 2 explored the vulnerability of play with fathers of children born preterm (PT‐fathers) and fathers who had experienced adverse childhoods (AC‐fathers). Study 3 investigated child internalizing behaviors. Intensity of play was maintained almost independently of child age and gender. It was similar for AC‐ and PT‐fathers, and similar to maternal Intensity. In contrast, paternal Quality of play was higher with boys and independent of fathers’ personality and perceived parenting stress whereas maternal Quality of play was higher with girls and linked to mothers’ perceived parenting competence, acceptability of the child, and neuroticism. AC‐fathers scored significantly low on Quality, as did PT‐fathers, but the Quality of their play became better with growing child age, birth weight, and cognitive (but not motor and temperament) scores. Finally, child internalizing behaviors were negatively related to paternal Quality of play.