Parenting Behaviors and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Parenting Behaviors and Cognitive Development

• Other Authors: Park, Young-Hee (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Teachers > Training of
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-5884

This study examined the determinants of parenting behaviors and recognized the change or stability in parenting behaviors within and across early childhood. To this end the study investigated the stability and change in parenting behaviors across early childhood and its impact on the growth of young children's cognitive development and subsequent readiness for school. Furthermore, the longitudinal reciprocal associations between parent behaviors and children's cognitive development were explored. Finally, the effects of parenting behaviors and cognitive development on school readiness were investigated within the full model, which includes multiple determinants of parenting behaviors. Data for the study were collected from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort kindergarten 2006/07 database (ECLS-B) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Data about the same children were collected when they were 9 months, 24 months, and preschool age (about 4 years). Participants included approximately 3,300 children and their parents. Structural equation modeling was used for data analyses. Children's sex and age at each assessment and parent respondents' SES and race/ethnicity were entered as covariates measures in the study model. From the findings, positive parenting behaviors can be explained by three dimensions: sensitivity, cognitive stimulation, and positive regard (or socio-emotional development) when children were 9-and 24-months. The lack of relative stability of positive parenting behaviors during two points in time (9-to 24-months) is confirmed. Parenting is a complex set of behaviors that are influenced by multiple factors, including parent, child, and contextual sources of support for child-rearing. There were unique reciprocal effects between positive parenting and child's cognitive abilities were found at 9-and 24-months, controlling for family SES, mother's race, and child gender and age at each assessment. The effects of positive parenting on a child's cognitive ability can be explained in two different ways over time: a cross-lagged effect (or direct effect) and mediated effect (or indirect effect). In terms of cross-lagged effect (direct path-way), positive parenting at 9-months directly impacted child cognitive abilities at 24-months, it provided evidence that there was the cross-lagged effects between positive parenting and child cognitive abilities. In response to mediated effects (indirect path-way), there were two separate processes. In the first process, increases in positive parenting across 9-months and 24-months predict increases in positive parenting during the same period. Then, this growth predicts the increase in children's cognitive abilities across the same time periods. In the second process, positive parenting at 9-months predicts child cognitive abilities at 9-months. This growth, in turn predicts increases in child cognitive development at 24-months. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. === A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Summer Semester, 2012. === April 9, 2012. === Child's cognitive development, Early Childhood, Nature of parenting behaviors in early childhood, Parenting Behaviors, Reciprocal association between parenting and child's cognitive abilities === Includes bibliographical references. === Ithel Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ann Mullis, University Representative; Pamela Sissi Carroll, Committee Member; Diana Rice, Committee Member; Young-Suk Kim, Committee Member.