Executive function and social problem-solving in maltreated and non-maltreated preschool children

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997This study examined the early relationship between executive functioning (EF) and social problem-solving (SPS) skills and their influence on behavioral adjustment by comparing the performance of maltreated and non-maltreated preschool-aged children on measures designed to assess these three areas of functioning. Individual interviews were conducted with 30 maltreated and 28 non-maltreated children ages 4-5, and classroom teachers/daycare providers rated the behavior of each child. Groups were balanced on age, ethnicity, gender, and verbal ability, but not on maternal education level and socioeconomic status, which were both higher in the non-maltreated group. Important findings from this research included the identification of a coherent factor structure for EF in preschool-aged children supported by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Four factors were generated (i.e., Sustained Attention, Selective Attention/Organized Search, Inhibitory Control, and Planning) and the model showed a good fit to the data. Maltreated children were found to have particular deficits in Sustained Attention when compared with non-maltreated children. Relationships between EF and SPS, as defined through the social information-processing model initially developed by Dodge (1986) and recently reformulated (Crick & Dodge, 1994), were directly examined for the first time in this research. Results indicated that Sustained Attention and Inhibitory Control were strongly associated with encoding skills, while Planning was strongly associated with response generation. Both SPS and EF showed significant relationships with aspects of behavioral adjustment, particularly Attention Problems and Social Skills. Path analyses in regression were conducted to further elucidate the relationships between components of EF, particular SPS skills, and aspects of behavioral adjustment and provided initial support for the hypothesis that components of EF can indirectly affect behavioral adjustment through SPS skills

Toktrapport [11/4 - 19/4, 1994]

Children ideally develop and learn about their world from the safe and stimulating environment of their home. Therefore, it is quite disturbing when violence occurs within the supposedly protective domains of the home and the parent-child relationship, although such acts have been committed throughout history (Zigler & Hall, 1989). Even though acts of child maltreatment have a long history, the concept that society should be responsible for the protection of children, including identification, reporting, and treatment of both the victims and perpetrators of maltreatment, is a relatively recent development. This chapter addresses the physical abuse and neglect of children by their parents. The problems of child physical abuse and neglect are described, including historical and epidemiological information and the characteristics of maltreating parents and families. A discussion of assessment methods as they apply to case conceptualization and treatment is provided. The basis for any well-planned treatment lies in a thorough assessment, and this is particularly true for the complex problem of child maltreatment. Interventions to address the needs of abusive and neglectful parents and prevent the recurrence of maltreatment are also described. In addition, issues in the clinical management of the problems and treatment of these challenging families are discussed