Parents' Sensitivity to Child-Level Factors and the Relation to Parental Questioning During Dyadic Interactions

• In Event: Novel Perspectives on the Role of Adult Questions for Children’s Learning and Cognition

Abstract

A consistent body of research shows that the frequency with which parents ask questions that vary in complexity during parent-child interactions is associated with children’s language and literacy abilities (e.g., Zucker et al., 2010). Question complexity can be described as low-level (e.g., labeling, matching) or high-level (e.g., comparing, predicting). Low-level questions may keep children engaged and allow them to demonstrate existing knowledge, while high-level questions can potentially facilitate children’s cognitive development by allowing them to practice complex skills, such as problem solving and using challenging words. Although these mechanisms have been proposed by many studies, few studies have examined how children’s responsiveness to questions and children’s early academic skills relate to parents’ questioning. Further, little research has investigated the associations between questioning and children’s math abilities, despite the possibility that parents’ sensitivity to these skills may drive the types of questions that they ask their children.

The present study examined how preschool-aged children’s responsiveness to questions relate to parents’ low- and high-level questioning and whether this relation is moderated by children’s math or language skills. Parent-child dyads (n=158, mean child age=4.45 years, SD=.32) were observed interacting with a wordless picture book, grocery store toys, and a puzzle for 5-8 minutes each. Conversation patterns were coded in the context of exchanges started by questions, which comprised of exchange-initiating questions, responses, and follow-ups. Exchange-initiating questions were coded as low- or high-level and children’s responses were coded as directly (e.g., a low-level response to a high-level question) or indirectly answering the initial question (e.g., expressing something unrelated to the question’s topic). Proportion scores were calculated by dividing the number of questions or responses by the number of exchanges. Children completed number (counting, cardinality) and spatial (mental transformation, geometric sensitivity, patterning) tasks, as well as a standardized math assessment (Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems, Woodcock et al., 2001). Parents completed a questionnaire assessing their children’s expressive vocabulary (Libertus et al., 2015).

Children’s math and language skills were related to the proportion of parents’ low- and high-level exchange-initiating questioning separately. There was a significant interaction between children’s total responsiveness and number skills (β=.14, p<.05) in relating to parents’ high-level questioning (Table 1). Generally, parents asked proportionally more high-level exchanging-initiating questions to children who were more responsive and had higher number skills. Models including direct and indirect child responsiveness and other child skills predicting questioning showed a significant interaction effect between children’s number skills and direct responsiveness (β=.16, p<.05). No significant main effects or interaction effects were found with indirect responsiveness (Figure 1). This suggests that parents’ exchange-initiating questioning may be shaped by a combination of children’s direct responsiveness and math abilities, specifically their understanding of cardinality and counting. It is possible that parents use children’s number skills as a proxy for problem-solving skills and adjust their questioning accordingly. Unlike children’s spatial skills and their performance on a broader set of standardized math problems, number skills are readily and frequently observed by parents and thus provide a better index for their perception of their child’s cognitive abilities.

Authors

• Shirley Duong, University of Pittsburgh
  Presenting Author

• Heather J. Bachman, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Melissa E Libertus, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author