More Like this

1. Early attachment to mothers and fathers: Contributions to Preschoolers' Emotional Regulation

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2019.1692045  

   Fernandes, C.; Fernandes, M.; Santos, A. J.; Antunes, M.; Monteiro, L.; Vaughn, B. E.; Veríssimo, M. (June 2021, Frontiers in psychology)

   null (Ed.)

   Children acquire and develop emotional regulatory skills in the context of parent-child attachment relationships, nonetheless empirical studies have focused mainly on mother and less information is available regarding the role of both parent-child attachment relationships. Furthermore, despite its importance, there is no information regarding preschool years. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the potential influences of both mother-child and father-child attachments on preschooler’s later emotion regulation observed in the peer group. Fifty-three Portuguese nuclear families (mother, father and focal child) participated in the study; 47% of the children were boys and 53% were girls. Attachment Security was assessed at home using the Attachment Behavior Q-set when children were 3 years of age, and emotion regulation was observed in the preschool classrooms attended by the children at age 5, using the California child Q-sort to derive an Emotion Regulation Q-Scale. Results showed that the combined influence of both parent-child attachment security predicted better emotion regulation results, than did the specific contributions of each parent per se. Findings are consistent with integrative approaches that highlight the value of including both mother- and father-child attachment relationships, as well as their combined effect, when studying emotion regulation. 

   more » « less
2. Socioeconomic risk moderates the association between caregiver cortisol levels and infant cortisol reactivity to emotion induction at 24 months

   https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21832  

   Braren, Stephen H.; Perry, Rosemarie E.; Ursache, Alexandra; Blair, Clancy (February 2019, Developmental Psychobiology)

   Abstract Relations between maternal baseline cortisol and infant cortisol reactivity to an emotion induction procedure at child ages 7, 15, and 24 months were analyzed using data from the Family Life Project (N = 1,292). The emotion induction consisted of a series of standardized and validated tasks, including an arm restraint, toy removal, and mask presentation, intended to elicit responses of fear and frustration. Results revealed that at 7 and 15 months, maternal baseline cortisol was negatively related to child cortisol reactivity, such that children of mothers with lower cortisol exhibited steeper cortisol increases in response to the emotion induction. At 24 months, the association between mother and infant cortisol was moderated by socioeconomic risk, such that maternal baseline cortisol was associated with child cortisol reactivity only in dyads characterized by low socioeconomic risk. Furthermore, at 24 months, children of mothers with low baseline cortisol and low socioeconomic risk exhibited decreasing cortisol responses, whereas children of mothers with low baseline cortisol but high risk exhibited flat cortisol responses. Children in dyads characterized by high baseline maternal cortisol also exhibited flat cortisol responses regardless of socioeconomic risk. The role of caregiver physiology in the regulation of the child's stress response in the context of adversity is discussed. 

   more » « less
3. Linking parents’ play strategies with their preschoolers’ STEM skills: The mediating roles of child STEM talk and self-regulated learning

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106095  

   Mannweiler, Morgan D; Bierman, Karen L; Liben, Lynn S (January 2025, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology)

   Previous studies document associations between parents’ use of guided play strategies and children’s STEM skills. We extended existing research by exploring mediating mechanisms that may account for these links. Parents played with their preschool children (N=75; 49% girls, 51% boys; 94% White, 3% Black, 1% Biracial, 1% Asian, 1% Native American; Mage = 4.82 years), undertaking a building challenge. Videotaped play was coded for parents’ guiding STEM talk (density of math, spatial, and scientific inquiry language) and management strategy (high- vs. low-directiveness). Mediators included children’s STEM talk during play and self-regulated learning (assessed by executive function tests and examiner’s ratings of children’s task orientation). Structural equation models confirmed hypothesized mediated paths from parent STEM talk to child math (but not spatial) skills via child STEM talk, and from parent STEM talk and directiveness to child math and spatial skills via child self-regulated learning. We discuss implications for future research and intervention design. 

   more » « less
4. Changes in Maternal Depression and Children’s Behavior Problems: Investigating the Role of COVID-19-Related Stressors, Hair Cortisol, and Dehydroepiandrosterone

   https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026221076845  

   Doan, Stacey_N; Ding, Madeleine; Burniston, Anna_Beth; Smiley, Patricia_A; Chow, Chong_Man; Liu, Cindy_H (March 2022, Clinical Psychological Science)

   Few studies have used longitudinal approaches to consider the cumulative impact of COVID-19-related stressors (CRSs) on the psychological adjustment of mothers and children. In the current study, we tracked changes in maternal depressive symptoms and children’s behavioral problems from approximately 2 years before the pandemic (T1) to May through August 2020 (T2). Second, we explored maternal hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone as predictors of change in maternal depressive symptoms. Mothers ( N = 120) reported on maternal and child psychological adjustment at both time points. Hair hormone data were collected in the lab at T1. Results suggest increases in children’s internalizing symptoms from T1 to T2 and that higher levels of CRSs were associated with increased maternal depressive symptoms. Maternal and child adjustment were correlated. Maternal hair cortisol, but not dehydroepiandrosterone, was associated with significant increases in depressive symptoms. Findings underscore the importance of considering the family system and cumulative risk exposure on maternal and child mental health. 

   more » « less
5. Caregivers’ positive emotion socialization tendencies are associated with positive affect in preschool age children

   https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.22036  

   Hill, Kaylin E.; Kujawa, Autumn; Humphreys, Kathryn L. (February 2023, Infant Mental Health Journal)

   Abstract Longstanding theories of emotion socialization postulate that caregiver emotional and behavioral reactions to a child's emotions together shape the child's emotion displays over time. Despite the notable importance of positive valence system function, the majority of research on caregiver emotion socialization focuses on negative valence system emotions. In the current project, we leveraged a relatively large cross‐sectional study of caregivers (N = 234; 93.59% White) of preschool aged children to investigate whether and to what degree, caregiver (1) emotional experiences, or (2) external behaviors, in the context of preschoolers’ positive emotion displays in caregiver–child interactions, are associated with children's general positive affect tendencies. Results indicated that, in the context of everyday caregiver–child interactions, caregiver‐reported positively valenced emotions but not approach behaviors were positively associated with child general positive affect tendencies. However, when examining specific caregiver behaviors in response to everyday child positive emotion displays, caregiver report of narrating the child's emotion and joining in the emotion with their child was positively associated with child general positive affect tendencies. Together, these results suggest that in everyday caregiver–child interactions, caregivers’ emotional experiences and attunement with the child play a role in shaping preschoolers’ overall tendencies toward positive affect. 

   more » « less