Assessing the Multiple Dimensions of the Self-Concept of Young Children: A Focus on Latinos

This study was designed to provide psychometric and developmental information for a caregiver report and observational measure of young children\u27s self-concept. The Caregiver Inventory of Self-Concept (elsC) and the Tasks for Observation of Self-Concept (lOSe) assess six domains: self-recognition, self-representation, selfdescription, self-assertion, self-evaluation, self-regulation. Mothers of 290 children aged 6 to 66 months reported on the presence of self-concept behaviors, and 75 of these children, aged 15 to 48 months, were observed. Coefficient alpha, an index of item-objective congruence, and factor analysis provided evidence for the reliability and validity of both measures. Between- and within-domain analyses found that the development of self-concept in young children followed the hypothesized progression (self-recognition, self-representation, self-description, self-assertion, selfevaluation, and self-regulation) on the ClSC but not on the TOSC

The role of length of maternity leave in supporting mother–child interactions and attachment security among American mothers and their infants

Abstract Maternity leave policies are linked to early childhood education and care policies, and in many countries, the length of leave policies determines the need for early care programs. The length of maternity leave varies greatly among mothers in the U.S. because of the absence of a universal policy for paid leave. This study examined associations among length of maternity leave, mother–child interactions, and attachment among American working mothers and their infants. This study consisted of secondary data analysis, and the participants were drawn from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (n ≈ 3850). Controlling for SES, the findings of path analysis suggest that the length of maternity leave was directly linked to the quality of mother–child interactions and indirectly linked to attachment security. These results have implications for the development of family policies that support the needs of infants and mothers during the first months of life