ABSTRACT
A comparative study of parent-child interaction and its relation to children's intellectual achievement is presented. The question of cultural continuities in cognitive development was examined. The cross-national design also illustrates some of the problems encountered when such relationships are studied across social contexts in general. The results suggest that although interaction characteristics are related to children's intellectual achievement, that relation is moderated by context factors that may operate differently in each culture. The findings are discussed in terms of how literacy mediates parents' teaching styles in ways that remain culturally ingrained. Research issues and recommendations for future research and policy are discussed.
Subject(s)
Cognition/physiology , Culture , Educational Status , Ethnicity/psychology , Intelligence , Parent-Child Relations , Socialization , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Female , Humans , Male , Peru , United StatesABSTRACT
In this study the authors tested whether children's aptitudes in science were advanced in areas in which cognitive supports were generally present, particularly through interaction with more capable individuals. Mothers assisted their 7th-grade children in science activities. Differences in parent-child interaction were hypothesized to account for children's performance across 3 science tasks that differed in difficulty. A cooperative problem-solving style of interaction was identified through factor analysis. This interaction style was correlated significantly with the child's intellectual performance not only in the science tasks but also in school achievement. Development of science and other aptitudes in the context of activity variables that help bridge home and school cultures are discussed.
Subject(s)
Achievement , Parents/psychology , Problem Solving/physiology , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Culture , Educational Status , Female , Humans , Male , Parent-Child Relations , SchoolsABSTRACT
This research investigated Erikson's theory that adolescent identity exploration is associated with a variety of symptoms, such as fluctuations in ego strength, mood swings, rebelliousness, and heightened physical complaints. A sample of 82 high school students completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Ego-Identity Interview. Identity exploration was correlated with 23 major clinical scales and the 14 Frequently Scored Scales of the MMPI. A factor analysis revealed seven scales loading on a single factor, which accounted for 39% of the variance in exploration. The items in the factor suggested a pattern consistent with Erikson's theory of adolescent crisis, and was labeled the Identity Exploration Crisis (IEC) factor. Adolescents who were actively engaged in identity exploration were more likely to produce a personality pattern characterized by self-doubt, confusion, disturbed thinking impulsivity, conflicts with parents and other authority figures, reduced ego strength, and increased physical symptoms.
Subject(s)
Identity Crisis , Psychoanalytic Theory , Psychology, Adolescent , Adolescent , Female , Humans , MMPI , MaleABSTRACT
Data on school-age children of divorced parents were examined to determine which dimensions of family dynamics were most associated with the children's socioemotional adjustment. Those factors found to be most significant were family roles, behavior control, and affective involvement, as well as children's reaction to and insight into the divorce, and conflict in the home after the divorce. Implications for parent education and early intervention are discussed.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Adjustment Disorders/psychology , Divorce/psychology , Family/psychology , Personality Development , Adjustment Disorders/prevention & control , Adolescent , Child , Family Therapy , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , Male , Personality AssessmentABSTRACT
Middle- and lower-class black and white adolescents were observed interacting with their mothers during a discussion of seven child-rearing problems. Maternal references to a range of disciplinary measures were identified, analyzed, and related to the subjects' scholastic performances concurrently. A factor analysis of process measures confirmed earlier findings based on self-report data concerning parental disciplinary style. Low SES mothers who participated in an early-age intervention and upper middle-class mothers tended to be less punitive than those in the low SES untreated group. Black mothers were less permissive than those in the white group. Parental disciplinary style was found to be significantly related to school performance. The results are discussed in terms of the development of methodological procedures for interaction analysis in semi-structured, ecological research, for the evaluation of process variables in early-age intervention follow-ups and theory relating disciplinary style to intellectual development.
