Associations Among Mothers’ Depression,Emotional and Learning-Material Support to Their Child,and Children's Cognitive Functioning: A 16-Year Longitudinal Study

This study examined the associations among maternal depression, mothers’ emotional and material investment in their child, and children's cognitive functioning. Middle-class Chilean mothers and children (N = 875; 52% males) were studied when children were 1, 5, 10, and 16 years (1991–2007). Results indicated that highly depressed mothers provided less emotional and material support to their child across all ages, which related to children's lower IQ. Children with lower mental abilities at age 1 received less learning-material support at age 5, which led to mothers’ higher depression at child age 10. Mothers’ low support was more strongly linked to maternal depression as children got older. Findings elucidate the dynamic and enduring effects of depression on mothers’ parenting and children's development.     

Bilingual cash machines,multicultural campuses,and communities of difference

A version of this paper was delivered as a speech at Buffalo State University, NY, September 1993.Estela M. Bensimon received an Ed.D from Teachers College, Columbia University. She currently holds an appointment in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State University as an associate professor and senior research associate. She is interested in leadership, multicultural curricular transformation, and the organizational structures and policies of our colleges and universities.     

The‐Asian‐learner‐as‐a‐rote‐learner Stereotype: myth or reality?

Two studies are reported which compare the responses of 14‐16 year old Filipino and Nepalese school students to learning process questionnaires based on the 3P Model of Learning (Biggs & Telfer, 1987) to those previously reported for similar aged Australian and Hong Kong students. Evidence was found for a similar structure of learning processes in each culture. Moreover, in each culture students who reported deeper and more achievement‐oriented approaches to learning tended to be more successful academically and to have higher academic self‐esteem. However, little evidence was found to support the contention that Asian learners were more prone to rote learning than were the Australians. The Nepalese students in particular tended to report higher levels of both deep and achieving approaches to learning than the other students. A possible explanation for this is that the conceptions of learning on which the 3P Model is based may not be appropriate in Nepalese culture.     

Defensive functioning of homeless youth in relation to experiences of child maltreatment and cumulative victimization

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between use of defense mechanisms and experiences of child maltreatment and cumulative victimization among homeless youth. METHOD: Twenty-five homeless youth were individually interviewed regarding their victimization experiences and coping strategies. Use of defense mechanisms was assessed using the Defense Mechanism Rating Scale. RESULTS: Relationships were demonstrated between use of defenses and specific as well as cumulative victimization experiences. All levels of defenses became more pervasive in response to victimization, but this was not a predictor of overall immature defensive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and program interventions to engage homeless youth need to incorporate an understanding of the relationship between defenses and victimization in order to be effective in maximizing upon the strengths of this population.