The Contribution of Fathers’ and Mothers’ Executive Function and Parenting on Children´s Executive Function

• In Event: Parental, Home,and Early Education Predictors of Children's Executive Function:Evidence From Three Countries

Abstract

Introduction:
Despite the growing evidence of the importance of EF during the preschool period, we still know little about the source of individual differences in children’s EF and the role that mothers and fathers play in the development of these skills during the preschool years. Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies points out that both caregiving behaviors and parental EF skills have a crucial role in the development of children’s EF (Cuevas et al., 2014), supporting the idea that intergeneration transmission of EF occurs through both biological and socialization pathways (Bridget., 2015).
Hypotheses:
In this study we sought to: (1) examine the association between maternal and paternal EF and children’s EF, (2) examine the contribution of four parenting dimensions (i.e. stimulation, scaffolding, sensitivity, and intrusiveness) on children’s EF, (3) explore whether parenting mediates the relation between parental EF and children’s EF, and (4) explore unique contributions of fathers and mothers to children’s EF. Based on previous literature, we hypothesized that both higher maternal and paternal EF skills would be associated to higher children´s EF and that maternal and paternal parenting dimensions would be related independently and jointly to children´s EF.
Study Population:
The sample consists of 115 low-middle income Chilean families (3-year-olds and their parents).
Methods:
Mothers, fathers, and children EF skills were assessed using the Minessota Executive Function Scale (MEFS; Carlson & Schaefer, 2012). The father/mother-child 10 min free play interactions were coded for scaffolding, sensitivity and intrusiveness using the Parent-Child Interaction System (PARCHISY; Deater-Deckard, et al., 1997). Parental self-report was obtained on depressive symptoms (CES-D; Eaton, et al., 2004), parental stress (PSS; Berry & Jones, 1995) and frequency of cognitive stimulation practices (Mewissen & Carlson, 2005).
Results:
The results shown no direct association between mothers’ or fathers’ EF and child EF (p >.05). Higher maternal EF predicted higher maternal cognitive stimulation behaviors (β =.02, SE =.01, 95%CI [.01, .04]), but not scaffolding, sensitivity or intrusiveness behaviors with the child. Higher maternal cognitive stimulation (β =3.57, SE =1.35, 95%CI [.61, 6.46]) was found to predict higher EF in the child. Maternal EF indirectly predicted child EF through maternal cognitive stimulation, when maternal scaffolding was high (β =.08, SE =.04, 95% CI [.01, .28]). No indirect transmission of EF skills through was found for fathers (p>.05)., but paternal cognitive stimulation predicted higher child EF only in the absence of paternal intrusiveness, and cognitive stimulation had a detrimental effect on child EF in contexts of paternal intrusiveness (β =-3.23, SE =1.16, 95%CI [-6.50, -.51]). Findings suggest differential influence from mothers and fathers in children´s EF. Both frequency and quality of parenting behaviors play a meaningful role in children’s EF development and in the intergenerational transmission of EF skills from parents to children.

Authors

• Fernanda Prieto, Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD)
  Presenting Author

• Daniela Aldoney, Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD)
  Non-Presenting Author