Nazly Dyer1, Margaret Tresch Owen2, Margaret O'Brien Caughy3. 1. School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, GR41, Richardson, TX 75080, USA. 2. University of Texas at Dallas. 3. University of Texas School of Public Health.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This article examines ethnic similarities and differences in profiles of mother-child interaction qualities for low-income African American and Latin American mothers and associations with preschoolers' emerging school readiness. DESIGN: Videotaped mother-child interactions were collected at age 2.5 years from a sample of African American (n = 192) and Latin American (n = 210) families. Profiles of maternal behavior were identified in person-centered within-group analyses of five ratings of maternal behavior from the videotaped interactions. Mothering profile groups were examined for relations to child receptive language, behavior problems, and pre-academic school readiness measured at age 3.5 years. RESULTS: Latent class analyses yielded three similar profiles in the two ethnicities identified as Child-Oriented, Directive, and Harsh-Intrusive mothering, and a fourth profile of Withdrawn mothering only among the African American mothers. For African American children, Child-Oriented and Directive mothering were each associated with higher pre-academic school readiness and language scores than Harsh-Intrusive or Withdrawn mothering. For Latin American children, Child-Oriented mothering was associated with fewer child behavior problems than Harsh-Intrusive mothering, and higher school readiness scores than Directive mothering. CONCLUSIONS: Both similarities and differences were found between African American and Latin American families in observation- based mothering profiles and their linkages with preschoolers' school readiness.
OBJECTIVE: This article examines ethnic similarities and differences in profiles of mother-child interaction qualities for low-income African American and Latin American mothers and associations with preschoolers' emerging school readiness. DESIGN: Videotaped mother-child interactions were collected at age 2.5 years from a sample of African American (n = 192) and Latin American (n = 210) families. Profiles of maternal behavior were identified in person-centered within-group analyses of five ratings of maternal behavior from the videotaped interactions. Mothering profile groups were examined for relations to child receptive language, behavior problems, and pre-academic school readiness measured at age 3.5 years. RESULTS: Latent class analyses yielded three similar profiles in the two ethnicities identified as Child-Oriented, Directive, and Harsh-Intrusive mothering, and a fourth profile of Withdrawn mothering only among the African American mothers. For African American children, Child-Oriented and Directive mothering were each associated with higher pre-academic school readiness and language scores than Harsh-Intrusive or Withdrawn mothering. For Latin American children, Child-Oriented mothering was associated with fewer child behavior problems than Harsh-Intrusive mothering, and higher school readiness scores than Directive mothering. CONCLUSIONS: Both similarities and differences were found between African American and Latin American families in observation- based mothering profiles and their linkages with preschoolers' school readiness.
Authors: Lauren B Adamson; Margaret O'Brien Caughy; Roger Bakeman; Raúl Rojas; Margaret Tresch Owen; Catherine S Tamis-LeMonda; Daniel Pacheco; Amy Pace; Katharine Suma Journal: Early Child Res Q Date: 2021-04-28