The Influence of Proximal and Distal Familial Factors on Preschool Children\u27s Inhibitory Control and Social Emotional Skills

Children in the United States experience higher rates of poverty than any other age group, including elderly adults and the poverty rate of young children (0-5 years) is considerably higher than that of older children (Proctor et al., 2016). There is an extensive body of research examining familial socioeconomic status (SES) and the influence on the skills and behaviors of young children; however, common key indicators of family SES may not fully depict the ways in which children living in poverty/low-income homes are influenced by economic disadvantage. The focus of the current study is to explore the ways in which proximal and distal familial factors are predictive of children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills to provide a more complete picture of how economic disadvantage affects young children. The data source for the current study comes from The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2014 and includes preschool aged children (M=57.87, SD=5.36) to investigate two research aims: to understand how proximal and distal factors are associated with preschool children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills; and to compare proximal and distal factors in preschool children’s household environment to traditional SES indices to gain greater understanding of the economic well-being indicators associated with school readiness. Three main findings emerged: (1) proximal variables were not found to fit a single, overarching proximal factor but remained independent variables; however, four distinct distal factors were revealed; (2) parent depression was not associated with children’s inhibitory control or social skill outcomes and (3) marital status predicted both observed and teacher reported child outcomes. Nonetheless, the findings from the current study provide evidence for considering the ways in which varying aspects of factors associated with poverty more negatively influence child outcomes than income alone. Advisors: Soo-Young Hong and Victoria J. Molfes

The role of child temperament on low‐income preschool children’s relationships with their parents and teachers

The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to allow for nesting of children within classrooms. After controlling for child age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education, children’s reactive temperament was negatively associated with parent– child closeness and positively associated with parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict. Children’s regulatory temperament was positively related to teacher–child closeness and negatively associated with teacher–child conflict. Regulatory temperament moderated the association between reactive temperament and teacher– child closeness. These findings The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to allow for nesting of children within classrooms. After controlling for child age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education, children’s reactive temperament was negatively associated with parent– child closeness and positively associated with parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict. Children’s regulatory temperament was positively related to teacher–child closeness and negatively associated with teacher–child conflict. Regulatory temperament moderated the association between reactive temperament and teacher– child closeness. These findings suggest that although reactive temperament potentially undermines closeness in relationships with teachers, regulatory temperament can buffer the influence of reactive temperament on teacher–child closeness. Highlights: • This study examined the association between children’s temperament and their relationships with parents and teachers. • Reactive temperament was positively associated with parent/ teacher–child conflict and negatively associated with parent–child closeness. Regulatory temperament was a moderator for the association between reactive temperament and teacher–child closeness. • Improving children’s regulatory temperament may be helpful for children with the reactive temperament to have better social relationships with their teachers

CHILDREN’S EMOTION REGULATION AND ATTACHMENT TO PARENTS: PARENTAL EMOTION SOCIALIZATION AS MODERATOR

We examined the associations among parental emotion socialization, and children’s emotion regulation and attachment to parents. In particular, we examined the moderating role of parental emotion socialization in the relationship between children’s emotion regulation and attachment to parents. Participants were 78 Turkish children (49 boys) aged from 60 to 77 months and their parents. Parents reported on the socialization strategies they used for their children’s emotions and on their children’s emotion regulation, and we assessed children’s attachment to parents via the Doll Story Completion Task. Results revealed that parents’ minimization reaction to children’s emotions moderated the association between children’s emotion regulation and attachment to parents. When parents’ response was punitive, children with poor emotion regulation displayed stronger attachment to parents than children with robust emotion regulation. In addition, girls had a more secure attachment than boys to parents. Our results highlight the importance of children’s emotion regulation and parental emotion socialization for children’s secure early attachment to parents

CHILDREN’S EMOTION REGULATION AND ATTACHMENT TO PARENTS: PARENTAL EMOTION SOCIALIZATION AS MODERATOR

We examined the associations among parental emotion socialization, and children’s emotion regulation and attachment to parents. In particular, we examined the moderating role of parental emotion socialization in the relationship between children’s emotion regulation and attachment to parents. Participants were 78 Turkish children (49 boys) aged from 60 to 77 months and their parents. Parents reported on the socialization strategies they used for their children’s emotions and on their children’s emotion regulation, and we assessed children’s attachment to parents via the Doll Story Completion Task. Results revealed that parents’ minimization reaction to children’s emotions moderated the association between children’s emotion regulation and attachment to parents. When parents’ response was punitive, children with poor emotion regulation displayed stronger attachment to parents than children with robust emotion regulation. In addition, girls had a more secure attachment than boys to parents. Our results highlight the importance of children’s emotion regulation and parental emotion socialization for children’s secure early attachment to parents

Assessing Pre-Literacy Behaviors in Infants and Toddlers: Psychometric Evaluation of the Infant Toddler Literacy Assessment (ITLA-3)

Assessment of emerging literacy in young children is generally limited to either skill development in children over 3 years of age or the quality and context of young children’s early literacy experiences. Although there has been promotion of their early literacy experiences, assessment of emerging pre-literacy behaviors in children younger than 3 years has yet to be organized into a single tool. Preliminary work on the Infant Toddler Literacy Assessment (ITLA) has progressed through initial steps of scale development and shown promise as a criterionbased, standardized assessment for tracking children’s pre-literacy behaviors and guiding practitioners in supporting development of those behaviors in populations that might otherwise show delays later-on. Previous analyses of data on 450+ children provided statistical support of a developmental sequence of ITLA exemplar behaviors, from easiest or earliest learned to later developed skills. Results of the present study showed the ITLA-3 has moderate construct validity with the PPVT™-IV and demonstrates one overall construct of pre-literacy across its 15 exemplars and 105 behaviors. Evidence now exists to support use of ITLA-3 by early childhood teachers to assess and guide the advancement of pre-literacy behaviors in infants and toddlers. Ongoing development of the ITLA-3 is recommended for further standardization

Identifying and Assisting Human Trafficking Survivors: A Post-Training Analysis of First Responders

First responders and the agencies for which they work face numerous challenges in identifying and assisting human trafficking survivors. This article aims to outline the ways in which first responders in a Midwestern state identify and provide services to human trafficking survivors. Six months after attending a two-day training aimed at recognizing and assisting human trafficking survivors, first responders were invited to participate in a follow-up survey regarding the training that they received. Responses were collected from 270 participants who work at various government, medical, or social service agencies in both rural and urban service areas across the state. Results focus on perceived prevalence of human trafficking, type of trafficking survivor populations served, barriers to service provision, and confidence in identifying indicators of human trafficking

The Influence of Proximal and Distal Familial Factors on Preschool Children\u27s Inhibitory Control and Social Emotional Skills

Children in the United States experience higher rates of poverty than any other age group, including elderly adults and the poverty rate of young children (0-5 years) is considerably higher than that of older children (Proctor et al., 2016). There is an extensive body of research examining familial socioeconomic status (SES) and the influence on the skills and behaviors of young children; however, common key indicators of family SES may not fully depict the ways in which children living in poverty/low-income homes are influenced by economic disadvantage. The focus of the current study is to explore the ways in which proximal and distal familial factors are predictive of children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills to provide a more complete picture of how economic disadvantage affects young children. The data source for the current study comes from The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2014 and includes preschool aged children (M=57.87, SD=5.36) to investigate two research aims: to understand how proximal and distal factors are associated with preschool children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills; and to compare proximal and distal factors in preschool children’s household environment to traditional SES indices to gain greater understanding of the economic well-being indicators associated with school readiness. Three main findings emerged: (1) proximal variables were not found to fit a single, overarching proximal factor but remained independent variables; however, four distinct distal factors were revealed; (2) parent depression was not associated with children’s inhibitory control or social skill outcomes and (3) marital status predicted both observed and teacher reported child outcomes. Nonetheless, the findings from the current study provide evidence for considering the ways in which varying aspects of factors associated with poverty more negatively influence child outcomes than income alone. Advisors: Soo-Young Hong and Victoria J. Molfes

Predictors of Preschool Children\u27s Body Mass Index: Breastfeeding Duration, Child Eating Behaviors, and Parental Feeding Practices

The current study examined how breastfeeding duration, child eating behaviors (Satiety and Food Responsiveness), and parental feeding practices (Environment and Parental Control over Food) are related to body mass index (BMI) among preschool-aged children. Participants were 224 primary caregivers (M age = 30.36; 90% mothers) of preschool-aged children (M age = 4.22 years, 55% male) from three Midwestern preschools serving low-income children. Mediated multiple regression analyses examined the effects of the various child eating behaviors and parental feeding practices as mediators of the relation between breastfeeding duration and child BMI. Three main findings emerged. There was a significant negative correlation between breastfeeding duration and child BMI and a significant direct effect for breastfeeding duration on child Satiety Responsiveness, Food Responsiveness, and Environment. Only Food Responsiveness had a direct effect on child BMI percentile, and Food Responsiveness fully mediated the relation between breastfeeding duration and child BMI. Results may be beneficial to early care and education programs in supporting and encouraging healthy eating behaviors and parental feeding practices early on. Helping to decrease children’s external food cue responsiveness may aid children in maintaining healthy weight status. Adviser: Helen H. Raike

The Influence of Proximal and Distal Familial Factors on Preschool Children’S Inhibitory Control and Social Emotional Skills

Children in the United States experience higher rates of poverty than any other age group, including elderly adults and the poverty rate of young children (0-5 years) is considerably higher than that of older children (Proctor et al., 2016). There is an extensive body of research examining familial socioeconomic status (SES) and the influence on the skills and behaviors of young children; however, common key indicators of family SES may not fully depict the ways in which children living in poverty/low-income homes are influenced by economic disadvantage. The focus of the current study is to explore the ways in which proximal and distal familial factors are predictive of children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills to provide a more complete picture of how economic disadvantage affects young children. The data source for the current study comes from The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2014 and includes preschool aged children (M=57.87, SD=5.36) to investigate two research aims: to understand how proximal and distal factors are associated with preschool children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills; and to compare proximal and distal factors in preschool children’s household environment to traditional SES indices to gain greater understanding of the economic well-being indicators associated with school readiness. Three main findings emerged: (1) proximal variables were not found to fit a single, overarching proximal factor but remained independent variables; however, four distinct distal factors were revealed; (2) parent depression was not associated with children’s inhibitory control or social skill outcomes and (3) marital status predicted both observed and teacher reported child outcomes. Nonetheless, the findings from the current study provide evidence for considering the ways in which varying aspects of factors associated with poverty more negatively influence child outcomes than income alone

The Influence of Proximal and Distal Familial Factors on Preschool Children’S Inhibitory Control and Social Emotional Skills

Children in the United States experience higher rates of poverty than any other age group, including elderly adults and the poverty rate of young children (0-5 years) is considerably higher than that of older children (Proctor et al., 2016). There is an extensive body of research examining familial socioeconomic status (SES) and the influence on the skills and behaviors of young children; however, common key indicators of family SES may not fully depict the ways in which children living in poverty/low-income homes are influenced by economic disadvantage. The focus of the current study is to explore the ways in which proximal and distal familial factors are predictive of children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills to provide a more complete picture of how economic disadvantage affects young children. The data source for the current study comes from The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2014 and includes preschool aged children (M=57.87, SD=5.36) to investigate two research aims: to understand how proximal and distal factors are associated with preschool children’s inhibitory control and social-emotional skills; and to compare proximal and distal factors in preschool children’s household environment to traditional SES indices to gain greater understanding of the economic well-being indicators associated with school readiness. Three main findings emerged: (1) proximal variables were not found to fit a single, overarching proximal factor but remained independent variables; however, four distinct distal factors were revealed; (2) parent depression was not associated with children’s inhibitory control or social skill outcomes and (3) marital status predicted both observed and teacher reported child outcomes. Nonetheless, the findings from the current study provide evidence for considering the ways in which varying aspects of factors associated with poverty more negatively influence child outcomes than income alone