Cross-cultural differences in temperament: Comparing paternal ratings of US and Dutch infants

This study conducted longitudinal comparisons of US and Dutch paternal ratings of temperament, measured via the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised, at 4 months (US n = 99; Dutch n = 127) and 12 months (US n = 66; Dutch n = 112) of age. US fathers rated their infant higher in the broad temperament trait Surgency, and its subscales vocal reactivity, high-intensity pleasure, and activity level. US fathers also rated their infants higher in negative emotionality, and its subscales of sadness, distress to limitations, and fear. Dutch infants received higher ratings in falling reactivity. Though the cultures did not differ in ratings of Orienting/regulatory capacity, US infants were higher on the subscale duration of orienting, and lower in soothability. Significant culture-by-age and culture-by-gender interactions were also noted. Overall, results are largely consistent with those reported for Dutch mothers and speak to considerable differences in early temperament development between cultures viewed as largely similar because of their Western/individualistic orientations

Introduction to the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC)

The conceptual basis for the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC) is outlined, with culture characterized as a force influencing how individual differences in social-emotional functioning develop. Rothbart's psychobiological model, defining temperament as constitutionally based reactivity and regulation, as well as concepts integral to the developmental niche, including the child's routine and parental psychology (i.e., socialization goals for offspring and ethnotheories concerning appropriate parenting) are introduced. Our model of culturally driven influences on child behavioral outcomes guiding the book, with parent psychology and children’s daily context as mediators of cultural effects, including those linked to Hoftede et al. cultural orientation dimensions, is described

Cross-cultural differences in child activities

Activities of daily living reflect critical contextual influences, operating via toddlers' exposure to culturally influenced learning over the course of early childhood. This chapter discusses the cross-cultural differences of various aspects of play, media exposure, and parent involvement in daily routine. Short-term cultural orientation was associated with more frequent play of both high- and low-intensity. Additionally, parents from more collectivistic cultures reported more TV exposure for their children than did parents from more individualistic cultures. Other, more nuanced patterns emerged as well, and are discussed with regard to existing literature and future exploration

Is prenatal maternal distress context-dependent? Comparing United States and the Netherlands

Contains fulltext : 207895.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Background: Maternal anxiety and depression symptoms during pregnancy can compromise a woman's well-being and affect offspring development. The present study represents a comparison of maternal late-pregnancy internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety) between the United States of America (US) and the Netherlands. We hypothesized that women in the US would report higher levels of anxiety and depression during pregnancy compared to their Dutch counterparts, both on individual symptom indicators and overall latent distress, due to more favorable policies/accessible services relevant to perinatal health in the Netherlands. Methods: Pregnant women were recruited at two comparable sites in the Netherlands (n = 327) and the US (n = 228). Measures included self-reports of internalizing distress and key covariates (i.e., parity, gestational, and maternal age). Results: Expectant mothers in the US reported higher depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to their Dutch counterparts. Results were consistent across individual internalizing symptom indicators and the overall latent prenatal distress means computed for US and Dutch samples, with an estimated large effect size for the latter after controlling for covariates. Limitations Despite their relatively large sizes, our samples were limited in their representativeness of the two cultures and mechanisms contributing to observed differences were not examined. Conclusions: Pregnant women in the US reported higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms than women in the Netherlands. Implications concern perinatal policy and clinical services (e.g., emotional health support provided to mothers).6 p

Introduction to the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC)

Item does not contain fulltextThe conceptual basis for the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC) is outlined, with culture characterized as a force influencing how individual differences in social-emotional functioning develop. Rothbart's psychobiological model, defining temperament as constitutionally based reactivity and regulation, as well as concepts integral to the developmental niche, including the child's routine and parental psychology (i.e., socialization goals for offspring and ethnotheories concerning appropriate parenting) are introduced. Our model of culturally driven influences on child behavioral outcomes guiding the book, with parent psychology and children’s daily context as mediators of cultural effects, including those linked to Hoftede et al. cultural orientation dimensions, is described