Preschoolers' Communicative Functions During Shared Book Reading With Mothers and Fathers

Research Findings: This study examined whether the communicative behaviors of preschoolers during shared-reading interactions differ according to child age or parent gender. Twenty Italian preschoolers (from 3.1 to 5.11 years) were observed during book reading with each parent separately. Communicative behaviors were analyzed according to the speech act theory. The findings showed that older children produced significantly more requests with fathers than with mothers but significantly more assertions with mothers than with fathers. Sequential analysis showed that only the fathers' reading utterances were significantly followed by older children's requests. These results suggest that older children adjusted their communicative functions to elicit richer conversations from their fathers. Practice or Policy: These findings have implications for the assessment and support of preschoolers' conversational skills.     

The Use of Visual-Tactile Communication Strategies by Deaf and Hearing Fathers and Mothers of Deaf Infants

This article presents the results of a study comparing deaf and hearing parents in the use of visual-tactile communication strategies during interaction with their hearing-impaired children between 18 and 24 months of age. The study includes 17 deaf and hard-of-hearing children and 33 parents, covering hearing mothers (n = 12), hearing fathers (n = 11), deaf mothers (n = 5), and deaf fathers (n = 5). The four groups of parents are compared in the use of visual-tactile communication strategies during free play with their children. Overall results show that deaf mothers and deaf fathers differ significantly from hearing parents in the use of a visual communication style adapted to the developmental communication needs and abilities related to the 18- to 24-month age period. The study pays special attention to differences in visual-tactile communication strategies according to hearing status, gender, use of languages, and communication modes.     

Links between Communication Patterns in Mother-Child, Father-Child, and Child-Peer Interactions and Children's Social Status

Black, Betty, and Logan, Arliss. Links between Communication Patterns in Mother-Child, Father-Child, and Child-Peer Interactions and Children's Social Status . Child Development, 1995, 66 , 255–271. In this study, we examined communication in the family and peer systems in relation to children's sociometric status. Codes measured turn-taking skills and utterance types for 43 children (ages 24–60 months) with mothers, fathers, and peers. Communication differences in the family and peer systems were strongest for popular versus rejected status children and their parents, but differences were also found for controversial and neglected status children and their parents. Rejected status children demonstrated turn-taking styles that included irrelevant turns, interruptions, simultaneous talking, and noncontingent responding. Parents of rejected children used higher proportions of requests than parents of popular children but failed to allow their children time to respond to the requests. Popular status children were more likely to alternate turns, provide explanations to peers, and participate in episodes of cohesive discourse. Interaction patterns were examined for potential mechanisms of transfer between family and peer systems.     

It's All a Matter of Timing: Sign Visibility and Sign Reference in Deaf and Hearing Mothers of 18-Month-Old Children

The signed and spoken language produced by 14 mothers to their 18-month-old children during free play was analyzed. All the children had profound prelingual deafness. Seven of the mothers were profoundly deaf and fluent users of British Sign Language (BSL) or Auslan. The other seven were hearing and had enrolled in a signing program. Maternal signed utterances were classified according to whether they were made in the child's line of sight and whether they had a salient context; that is, they referred to an object or event at the child's current focus of attention. Spoken utterances were coded by word length. Comparisons between the two groups showed that both deaf and hearing mothers produced a majority of single-sign utterances (rather than utterances containing two or more signs). Deaf mothers also produced a majority of single-word spoken utterances, whereas the hearing mothers produced a significantly greater proportion of multiword utterances. As predicted, deaf mothers were more successful than hearing mothers in presenting signed utterances with a salient context that were visible to their children. Across the group as a whole, the total number of visible and salient signed utterances produced in 10 minutes was positively correlated with the total number of occasions on which mothers successfully redirected their child's attention or the child spontaneously turned to look at the mother. This suggests that deaf children who are visually attentive to their mothers receive a greater number of visible signed utterances with a salient context. I argue that this provides a more secure context for early language development.     

Parenting during the Second Year: Effects of Children's Age, Sex, and Attachment Classification

70 2-parent families with 12-month-old infants and 67 2-parent families with 18-month-old toddlers participated in the study. Mothers and fathers participated in separate interviews and filled out questionnaires on family and child behaviors. Mothers and their children participated in the Ainsworth Strange Situation, and the families were observed for a total of 4 hours in their homes. Families were compared on composite measures of family environment variables, parents' perception of their children, and on process variables from home observations. Family differences in environmental stress and marital adjustment showed no effects for attachment classifications, although parents of 12-month-olds reported greater marital adjustment and more pleasure in parenting than parents of 18-months-olds. Both mothers and fathers reported that children classified as resistant were more difficult on several temperament measures. During home observations, 12-month-old children received more positive responses from mothers, and 18-month-old children received more instructions and directions from both parents. Insecure boys (both avoidant and resistant) received the least instructions and directions from both parents, but insecure-avoidant girls received the most instruction from fathers.     

Development of mutual responsiveness between parents and their young children

This comprehensive study of mutual responsiveness examined 102 mothers and 102 fathers interacting with their children at 7 and 15 months. Responsiveness was studied from developmental and individual differences perspectives, and assessed using macroscopic ratings and microscopic event coding. The latter captured parents' reactions to children's negative, positive, and physical bids, and children's reactions to parents' social-interactive bids, mood regulation attempts, and influence attempts. Responsiveness depended on bid type and child age, and reflected developmental changes in children, parents, and relationships. Mothers were more responsive than fathers; children were equally responsive to both parents and coherent in their responsiveness. Ratings revealed dyadic mutuality and longitudinal continuity of responsiveness. Parent-child responsiveness from 7 to 15 months was consistent with assumptions of a parent-driven process.     

Relations among parental causal attributions and children’s math performance and task persistence

The present longitudinal study examined the cross-lagged relations between parental causal attributions of children’s math success to children’s ability, parental help, children’s math performance and task persistence. A total of 735 children, their mothers, fathers and teachers were assessed twice – at the end of the second and the third grades. Children were tested in math and parents filled out questionnaires measuring causal attributions. Children’s task persistence was reported both by parents and by class teachers. The results of path analyses indicated mutual negative effects between mothers’ and fathers’ help attributions and children’s math performance, and a positive effect of mothers’ ability attributions on children’s math performance. Cross-lagged relations were also found for children’s math performance and task persistence. However, relations between parental attributions and children’s task persistence were evident only for fathers’ ability attributions. The findings emphasise the importance of examining both mothers and fathers, home and school context.     

Preschool children's exposure to story grammar elements during parent–child book reading

Twenty‐three preschool‐age children, 3;6 (years; months) to 4;1, were videotaped separately with their mothers and fathers while each mother and father read a different unfamiliar storybook to them. The text from the unfamiliar storybooks was parsed and coded into story grammar elements and all parental extratextual utterances were transcribed and coded for (1) their relationship to the story grammar elements found within the storybook, and (2) the natural strategies parents used to direct their children's attention to these elements. Children's overall exposure to story grammar elements during book reading was also explored for its relationship to their language abilities. Results indicated that parents focused significantly more on the resolution, attempt, and consequence compared to the initiating event and plan, and most frequently used the text and pictures as strategies for recruiting their children's attention to the story grammar elements within the book. In addition, the frequency of parental utterances related to story grammar elements was negatively correlated with children's language abilities. This study did not examine the complexity or depth of parental utterances related to story grammar elements. These findings provide initial evidence that children may derive their understanding of story grammar at least in part through their parents' extratextual discussions during parent–child book reading.     

Comparison between mothers and fathers in coping with autistic children: a multivariate model

The main purpose of this research is to compare the differences between how mothers and fathers cope with autistic children based on a multivariate model that describes the relationships between parental psychological resources, parental stress appraisal and parental adjustment. 176 parents who lived in Israel (88 mothers and 88 fathers) of children aged between 6 to 16 most of them (81%) were diagnosed as suffering from PDD and the rest (19%) as suffering from PDDNOS. The parents answered several questionnaires measuring parental psychological resources (social support, sense of coherence, locus of control), parental appraisal of stress (challenge vs. threat), and parental adjustment (mental health and marriage quality). The results show that all the variables entered the path analysis model with the same pattern. However, some links between the variables are quite similar for mothers and fathers while others are different. The results lead to several interesting suggestions for future research using dynamic systems framework and process-oriented methodological approaches.     

Does the gender of parent or child matter in child maltreatment in China?

Child maltreatment is a public health problem worldwide, and China is no exception. However, the pattern of child maltreatment remains unknown, including whether the gender of children and their parents has an impact on the occurrence of maltreatment. This study aims at examining the rates and frequency of child maltreatment, including physical abuse, psychological abuse and neglect perpetrated by mothers and fathers. We also test whether the interaction between parents’ gender and their child's gender affects the occurrence of child maltreatment in China. 997 children from the China Jintan Child Cohort Study participated in the present study and reported their maltreatment experience perpetrated by their mothers and fathers using the questionnaire, Parent–Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC_CA). Generalized linear model analyses show that boys were more likely than girls to report physical abuse, and, in particular, boys were more likely than girls to be physically abused by their fathers. On the other hand, mothers were more likely than fathers to exhibit psychological aggression and use corporal punishment for both boys and girls. There was no difference based on the child's or parent's gender in the occurrence of neglect. The findings present empirical evidence that enhances the understanding of the pattern of child maltreatment in China, provide implications for social workers and health professionals to identify children at risk of child maltreatment, and shed light on future research studies.     

Attitudes of Greek parents of primary school children without special educational needs to inclusion

Successful inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) in school settings depends largely on the attitudes of parents of peers without SEN. The purpose of the present study was to explore the attitudes of Greek parents of primary school children without SEN towards inclusion. The participants were 338 parents (182 fathers, 156 mothers), aged 27 to 58 years (mean age = 39 years and 5 months). They were asked to complete the My thinking about inclusion scale and a further short questionnaire. The findings revealed that Greek parents of primary school children not identified as having SEN had an overall positive attitude towards inclusion. Gender differences were also established—fathers held more positive attitudes towards inclusion than mothers, even when controlling for age, educational level and the presence of a child with SEN in their child’s classroom. However, mothers were overall more willing than fathers to engage themselves and their child in interaction with a child with SEN.     

Parents’ perception of child behavior,parenting stress,and child abuse potential: Individual and partner influences

Based on the Social Information Processing model of parenting risk for child abuse, the present study examined the associations between mothers’ and fathers’ perception of child behavior and child abuse potential, as well as whether parenting stress mediates the association between these constructs. Two hundred and fifty-nine mother-father couples raising preschool children answered the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI). The results of dyadic path analysis showed that perception of child behavior was related to heightened parenting stress and abuse potential in both mothers and fathers. Concerning partner effects, we found that mothers’ perception of child behavior problems was positively associated with fathers’ parenting stress and that the higher the mothers’ distress, the higher the fathers’ risk of physical abuse. Finally, parenting distress partially mediated the association between parents’ perception of child behavior and child abuse potential, with mothers’ perception of their children as problematic showing a significant indirect effect through distress on their own abuse risk and on fathers’ CAP as well. These findings suggest that parental distress may represent a critical mechanism by which parents’ negative views of their children contribute to abuse potential. Moreover, mothers seem to influence fathers’ tendency towards abusive behaviors.     

Distinct Influences of Mothers and Fathers on Kindergartners’ Numeracy Performance: The Role of Math Anxiety,Home Numeracy Practices,and Numeracy Expectations

The current study analyzed maternal and paternal differential influences on numeracy performance in kindergarten children. Participants were 180 Chilean children from backgrounds of low and high socioeconomic status (SES), their mothers, and their fathers. A path analysis was used to explore the influences of both maternal and paternal numeracy practices on children’s numeracy performance and the influences of maternal and paternal expectations and anxiety on those activities. Research Findings: Results showed that mothers and fathers who endorse higher numeracy expectations for their children and who report lower levels of math anxiety also report engaging more frequently in advanced numeracy practices with their children. Mothers’—but not fathers’—engagement in numeracy practices at home predicted children’s numeracy performance. Also, low-SES mothers engaged more frequently in numeracy practices with their children, and mothers in general engaged more often in numeracy activities with girls than with boys. Practice or Policy: These findings improve understanding of how maternal and paternal processes relate differently to numeracy performance in kindergarten children. Moreover, these results highlight the need to take into account parents’ numeracy attitudes and practices, as well as their SES, when designing interventions directed at increasing family support for math achievement.     

Socialization Values and Parenting Practices as Predictors of Parental Involvement in Their Children's Educational Process

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between parental socialization values (including inconsistency in values), parenting practices, and parental involvement in their children's education. Altogether 242 Estonian mothers and fathers of first-grade children participated in the study. We found that mothers were overall more involved in their children's education than fathers. Whereas emphasis on social values at home was related to paternal and (marginally) to maternal home-based academic involvement, emphasis on self-direction values at home among mothers was related to their home-based general involvement. Also, inconsistency in family socialization values had a negative impact on paternal involvement. Finally, positive practices were most consistently related to all types of involvement among mothers and fathers. Practice or Policy: The findings of the present study emphasize the importance of concordance in mother-father values. For teachers, it emphasizes the need to cooperate with both spouses and to discuss broader topics, including their values and practices. The results additionally indicate the importance of finding ways to enhance collaboration with less-educated parents. The results have practical implications for teachers who can potentially help parents to become more involved in their children's education.     

Parental communication and collaboration in schools with special educational needs (SEN) programmes in Bhutan

ABSTRACT

This study explored the experiences of communication and collaboration of parents with the teachers of their children with special educational needs (SEN). In this investigation in the Bhutanese context, 26 parents (13 fathers and 13 mothers) of children with SEN, either fully or partially included in 3 schools with SEN programmes in Bhutan located in urban, semi-urban, and rural regions in Bhutan were individually interviewed. The interview data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using both manual thematic coding semantic mapping and text mining analysis (Leximancer). The majority of parents (n?=?21/26) were found to have either minimal or no communication or collaboration with the school. It was mainly a few mothers (n?=?4), and no fathers, who reported consistent communication and collaboration with the school, whose children were partially included in the schools and had high support needs. The findings have implications for building channels of communication and collaboration between parents and school staff in order to support their children with SEN in Bhutan.     

An investigation of parents' attitudes and the communication skills of their deaf children

The reciprocity and consequences of parent-child interactions are an important subject of inquiry in child development literature. The majority of studies on deaf children with hearing parents focus on differences in parent-child interactions, which emanate from a number of factors including parental attitudes toward deafness and acceptance of alternative modes of communication. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental attitudes toward deafness and the communication skills of their hearing-impaired children. Whereas the majority of researchers in interactional studies have focused on mothers, both parents were included in this investigation. Significant correlations were found between fathers' scores on the Attitude to Deafness Scale and the language comprehension scores of their deaf children. No significant differences in attitudes were found between mothers and fathers. Similarly, no significant differences were found between the parents of boys and the parents of girls.     

农村亲子关系特点的定性研究

在河南农村选取了66名被试,通过半结构访谈,分析了我国农村的亲子关系的模式和特点.研究发现(1)农村亲子间的亲密度低,亲子依恋不强,亲子交往的频率低.(2)农村父母对子女有偏爱现象,更加偏爱男孩和排行靠前的孩子.(3)农村儿童对母亲更加信任和依恋,更亲近母亲.     

Gender differences in empathy in parents at high- and low-risk of child physical abuse

OBJECTIVES: The present research was designed to study empathy in high-risk parents for child physical abuse. The main objective was to study if high-risk mothers and fathers, compared to low-risk mothers and fathers, presented more Personal distress, less Perspective-taking, less Empathic concern and a deficit in dispositional empathy toward their partner and children. METHOD: Based on their scores on the Abuse Scale of the CAP Inventory [J.S. Milner, The Child Abuse Potential Inventory: Manual, 2nd ed., Psytec Corporation, Webster, NC], 19 (9 fathers and 10 mothers) high- and 26 (12 fathers and 14 mothers) low-risk parents for child physical abuse were selected from a total sample of 331 parents of the Spanish general population. Both groups were statistically matched on sociodemographic variables. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) [Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology 10 (1980) 85] and the Parent/Partner Empathy Scale (PPES) [N.D. Feshbach, N. Caskey, A new scale for measuring parent empathy and partner empathy: factorial structure, correlates and clinical discrimination, 1985] were used to assess dispositional empathy. RESULTS: An interaction between risk status and gender for "Personal distress" and "Perspective-taking" was found. High-risk mothers for child physical abuse showed more "Personal distress" than low-risk mothers and low-risk fathers. High-risk fathers for child physical abuse showed less "Perspective-taking" than low-risk mothers and low-risk fathers. No difference between both groups was found for the IRI "Empathic concern" dimension. Moreover, high-risk, compared to low-risk, parents showed lower scores both on the "Empathy toward the partner" and on the "Empathy toward the child" dimensions of the PPES. No interaction between risk status and gender was found for the PPES dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the present study supported the hypothesis that high-risk parents for child physical abuse show a deficit both in general empathy and in empathy toward their family members. Moreover, findings suggested the existence of a different pattern of deficits in empathy for high-risk fathers and high-risk mothers.     

Childhood history of abuse and child abuse potential: The role of parent's gender and timing of childhood abuse

It has been suggested that being physically abused leads to someone becoming a perpetrator of abuse which could be associated to parents’ gender, timing of the physical abuse and specific socio-demographic variables. This study aims to investigate the role the parents’ gender, timing of childhood abuse and socio-demographic variables on the relationship between parents’ history of childhood physical abuse and current risk for children. The sample consisted of 920 parents (414 fathers, 506 mothers) from the Portuguese National Representative Study of Psychosocial Context of Child Abuse and Neglect who completed the Childhood History Questionnaire and the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. The results showed that fathers had lower current potential risk of becoming physical abuse perpetrators with their children than mothers although they did not differed in their physical victimization history. Moreover, the risk was higher in parents (both genders) with continuous history of victimization than in parents without victimization. Prediction models showed that for fathers and mothers separately similar socio-demographic variables (family income, number of children at home, employment status and marital status) predicted the potential risk of becoming physical abuses perpetrators. Nevertheless, the timing of victimization was different for fathers (before 13 years old) and mothers (after 13 years old). Then our study targets specific variables (timing of physical abuse, parents’ gender and specific socio-demographic variables), which may enable professionals to select groups of parents at greater need of participating in abuse prevention programs.     

Agreement on Childhood Disability between Parents and Teachers in Vietnam

The purpose of the present study was to examine agreement on childhood disability among the teachers and parents of children with cognitive delays in Vietnam. The participants were 57 teachers in kindergarten programmes (for children 2 to 6 years of age), and 106 mothers and 93 fathers of the children attending these kindergarten programmes. The data were collected using the ABILITIES Index and a demographic information form. The results indicated that teachers rated the children’s level of functioning more severely, especially in the areas of intellectual disabilities and behaviour problems, than mothers and fathers. Logistic regression that examined the factors that predicted the agreement and disagreement among parents and teachers revealed that teachers and parents were more likely to agree when the child’s disability was genetically related or physical. Screening, diagnosis and treatment issues can become more challenging for children with intellectual disabilities who do not have such physical and genetic conditions, especially when the agreement between parents and professionals on the conditions of the children is low.