Children's friendship quality trajectories from middle childhood to early adolescence and prediction from sex.

We investigated the development of children's self-reported positive (Companionship and Recreation, Validation and Caring, Help and Guidance, Intimate Disclosure, and Conflict Resolution) and negative (Conflict and Betrayal) friendship quality from the third to sixth grades using The National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development data (NICHD SECCYD; n = 1,364; M age = 9.03 years; 51.70% boys at recruitment). Consistent with expectations, growth models suggested that children reported higher positive, and lower negative, friendship quality with age. Boys had significantly lower positive friendship quality at third grade and slower increases than girls. Boys had slower decreases in negative friendship quality than girls. It is possible that different social orientations explain sex differences in friendship quality trajectories. Further research is needed to explore other factors that might account for individual differences in friendship quality trajectories.

Home Environment and Self-Efficacy Beliefs among Native American, African American, and Latino Adolescents.

Context helps determine what individuals experience in the settings they inhabit. Context also helps determine the likelihood that those experiences will promote adaptive development. Theory suggests likely interplay between various aspects of home context and development of ideas about self that influence patterns of development for children. This study addressed relations between two aspects of home life (companionship and investment, modeling and encouragement) and three types of self-efficacy beliefs (enlisting social resources, independent learning, self-regulatory behavior) considered important for long-term adaptive functioning. The study focused on three groups of minority adolescents (Native American, African American, Latino). Relations were examined using regression models that also included four aspects of household risk that often hinder the development of self-efficacy. Although findings varied somewhat across the three groups, significant relations emerged between the two domains of home life examined and self-efficacy beliefs in all three groups, even controlling for overall household risk. Companionship and investment appeared particularly relevant for African American adolescents, while modeling and encouragement appeared particularly relevant for Native American adolescents. Both were relevant for Latino adolescents.

El contexto ayuda a determinar lo que las personas viven en los entornos que habitan. El contexto también ayuda a determinar la probabilidad de que esas experiencias promuevan el desarrollo adaptativo. La teoría sugiere una probable interacción entre varios aspectos del contexto hogareño y el desarrollo de ideas acerca del yo que influyen en los patrones de desarrollo de los niños. Este estudio abordó las relaciones entre dos aspectos de la vida hogareña (compañerismo e inversión, modelado y fomento) y tres tipos de creencias de autoeficacia (designación de recursos sociales, aprendizaje independiente, comportamiento autorregulado) consideradas importantes para el funcionamiento adaptativo a largo plazo. El estudio se centró en tres grupos de adolescentes de grupos minoritarios (nativo americanos, afroamericanos, latinos). Se analizaron las relaciones usando modelos de regresión que también incluyeron cuatro aspectos de riesgo doméstico que generalmente obstaculizan el desarrollo de la autoeficacia. Aunque los resultados variaron un poco en los tres grupos, surgieron relaciones significativas entre los dos ámbitos de la vida hogareña analizados y las creencias de autoeficacia en los tres grupos, aún teniendo en cuenta el riesgo doméstico general. El compañerismo y la inversión parecieron particularmente relevantes en los adolescentes afroamericanos, mientras que el modelado y el fomento parecieron particularmenete relevantes en los adolescentes nativo americanos. Ambos fueron relevantes en los adolescentes latinos.

Unpacking the link between socioeconomic status and behavior problems: A second-order meta-analysis.

Substantial evidence links socioeconomic status to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. However, it is unclear how these two categories of behavior problems relate to specific components of socioeconomic status (e.g., income, educational attainment, and occupational prestige) or overall social status. In this study, we conducted a second-order meta-analysis to estimate the average associations of income, education, occupation, and overall socioeconomic status with internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and to examine if age, sex, and race/ethnicity moderated these associations. Our systematic search in PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global identified 12 meta-analyses (17% unpublished), including approximately 474 primary studies and 327,617 participants. In relation to internalizing, we found small average associations with income, r+ = -.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-.31, -.04], and education, r+ = -.12, 95% CI [-.15, -.09]. In relation to externalizing, we found smaller associations with income, r+ = -.02, 95% CI [-.15, .10], education, r+ = -.03, 95% CI [-.16, .10], and overall socioeconomic status, r+ = -.05, 95% CI [-.11, .01], but these CIs included zero. Only sex composition of the samples moderated the latter association. We provide recommendations for best practices and future research directions.

GENDER IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES: INTRODUCTION

How do girls and boys in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in the majority world vary with respect to central indicators of child growth and mortality, parental caregiving, discipline and violence, and child labor? How do key indicators of national gender equity and economic development relate to gender similarities and differences in each of these substantive areas of child development? This monograph of the SRCD is concerned with central topics of child gender, gendered parenting, gendered environments, and gendered behaviors and socializing practices in the underresearched and underserved world of LMIC. To examine protective and risk factors related to child gender in LMIC around the world, we used data from more than 2 million individuals in 400,000 families in 41 LMIC collected in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, a household survey that includes nationally representative samples of participating countries. In the first chapter of this monograph, we describe the conceptual "gender similarities" and "bioecological" frameworks that helped guide the monograph. In the second chapter, we detail the general methodology adhered to in the substantive chapters. Then, in topical chapters, we describe the situations of girls and boys with successive foci on child growth and mortality, parental caregiving, family discipline and violence, and child labor. We conclude with a general discussion of findings from the substantive chapters in the context of gender and bioecological theories. Across 41 LMIC and four substantive areas of child development, few major gender differences emerged. Our data support a gender similarities view and suggest that general emphases on early child gender differences may be overstated at least for the developing world of LMIC.

A Developmental Analysis of Caregiving Modalities Across Infancy in 38 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Caregiving is requisite to wholesome child development from the beginning of life. A cross-sectional microgenetic analysis of six caregiving practices across the child's 1st year (0-12 months) in 42,539 families from nationally representative samples in 38 low- and middle-income countries is reported. Rates of caregiving varied tremendously within and across countries. However, caregiving practices followed one of two developmental trajectories: (a) greater proportions of caregivers read, told stories, and named, counted, and drew with each additional month of infant age, and (b) proportions of caregivers who played, sang songs, and took their infants outside increased each month from birth but reached an asymptote at 4-5 months. Rates and growth functions of caregiving have implications for infant care and development.

Attitudes justifying domestic violence predict endorsement of corporal punishment and physical and psychological aggression towards children: a study in 25 low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVE: The Convention on the Rights of the Child has prompted countries to protect children from abuse and exploitation. Exposure to domestic violence and corporal punishment are risk factors in children's development. This study investigated how women's attitudes about domestic violence are related to attitudes about corporal punishment and harsh behaviors toward children, and whether country-wide norms regarding domestic violence and corporal punishment are related to psychological aggression and physical violence toward children. STUDY DESIGN: Data were drawn from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, a nationally representative and internationally comparable household survey developed by the United Nations Children's Fund. Measures of domestic violence and discipline were completed by 85 999 female caregivers of children between the ages of 2 and 14 years from families in 25 low- and middle-income countries. RESULTS: Mothers who believed that husbands were justified in hitting their wives were more likely to believe that corporal punishment is necessary to rear children. Mothers who believed that husbands were justified in hitting their wives and that corporal punishment is necessary to rear children were more likely to report that their child had experienced psychological aggression and physical violence. Countrywide norms regarding the acceptability of husbands hitting wives and advisability of corporal punishment moderated the links between mothers' attitudes and their behaviors toward children. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians can address parents' psychological aggression and physical violence toward children by discussing parents' attitudes and behaviors within a framework that incorporates social norms regarding the acceptability of domestic violence and corporal punishment.

Longitudinal relations among parents' reactions to children's negative emotions, effortful control, and math achievement in early elementary school.

Panel mediation models and fixed-effects models were used to explore longitudinal relations among parents' reactions to children's displays of negative emotions, children's effortful control (EC), and children's math achievement (N = 291; M age in fall of kindergarten = 5.66 years, SD = .39 year) across kindergarten through second grade. Parents reported their reactions and children's EC. Math achievement was assessed with a standardized achievement test. First-grade EC mediated the relation between parents' reactions at kindergarten and second-grade math achievement, beyond stability in constructs across study years. Panel mediation model results suggested that socialization of EC may be one method of promoting math achievement in early school; however, when all omitted time-invariant covariates of EC and math achievement were controlled, first-grade EC no longer predicted second-grade math achievement.

Home environments of infants from immigrant families in the United States: findings from the new immigrant survey.

Data from the New Immigrant Survey were used to describe the home environments of 638 children ages birth to 3 years whose parents legally immigrated to the United States. Thirty-two indicators of home conditions were clustered into four domains: discipline and socioemotional in support, learning materials, enriching experiences, and family activities. Results revealed variation in how frequently infants from every country (Mexico, El Salvador, India, Philippines) and region (East Asia, Europe, Caribbean, Africa) studied experienced each home environmental condition. There were differences between countries and regions on many indicators as well as differences based on parents' level of education. The experiences documented for children of recent legal immigrants were similar to those documented for children of native-born families in other studies.

Mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms across four years postpartum: An examination of between- and bidirectional within-person relations.

BACKGROUND: Both mothers and fathers are at risk for experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms shortly after the birth of a child. Previous studies suggest mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms to be interrelated. This study examined bidirectional relations between mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms across four years postpartum. METHODS: Longitudinal data for this study were collected across five waves from 485 mothers and 359 fathers of infants when infants were on average 6 months-old until children were 54 months-old (1-year lags). Mothers and fathers reported on their depressive symptoms using the Center for the Epidemiological Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D 10). A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RICLPM) was specified to examine the bidirectional relations between mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms over time. RESULTS: At the between-person level, mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms were positively associated. At the within-person level, unique carry-over effects were found for mothers and fathers in that when reporting higher depressive symptoms than their trait levels, they were more likely to report higher depressive symptoms one year later. Moreover, intermittent cross-lagged effects were observed from mothers' depressive symptoms to fathers' depressive symptoms during toddlerhood. LIMITATIONS: The sample was not racially or structurally diverse thereby limiting the generalizations of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: After the birth of a child, mothers and fathers are at risk for experiencing chronic depressive symptoms which can have implications for individual, couple and child health. Mothers' depressive symptoms are related to fathers' depressive symptoms over time.

"More is better" or "better near the middle"? A U.S.-based individual participant data meta-analysis of socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a widely researched construct in developmental science, yet less is known concerning relations between SES and adaptive behavior. Specifically, is the relation linear, with higher SES associated with better outcomes, or does the direction of association change at different levels of SES? Our aim was to examine linear ("more is better") and quadratic ("better near the middle") associations between components of SES (i.e., income, years of education, occupational status/prestige) and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale), and to explore moderation by developmental period (adolescence, young, middle, and older adulthood), gender/sex (female, male), and race/ethnicity (Asian American, Black, Latinx, multiracial, Native American, White). We hypothesized that there would be more support for a model containing quadratic associations. We conducted a two-stage meta-analytic structural equation model of 60 data sets (27,242 correlations, 498,179 participants) within the United States, accounting for dependencies between correlations, which were identified via the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research and handled using a two-step approach. Income was quadratically associated with depressive symptoms, but the quadratic model did not explain more variance in depressive symptoms than the linear model. Developmental period and race/ethnicity moderated the associations: Income was quadratically associated with depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults, and years of education were quadratically associated with depressive symptoms among White samples. Our findings suggest that researchers and clinical practitioners should consider the elevated risk of depressive symptoms for individuals from low and high-income backgrounds in the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The HOME-21: A revised measure of the home environment for the 21st century tested in two independent samples.

For decades, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) has been the most widely used measure of children's home environments. This report provides a revised version of the HOME-Short Form, the HOME-21, reflecting historical changes in family composition and caregiver roles, norms about the acceptability of different forms of discipline, and children's digital environments. Using data from two samples of parents of children ages 0-17 (Fast Track [FT], N = 553, age = 33.8, 49.2% female, 48.1% Black, 51.9% White/other; Great Smoky Mountains Study [GSMS], N = 722, age = 37.2, 54.7% female, 67.6% White, 6.6% Black, 25.8% American Indian), we assess the utility of the HOME-21 with descriptive statistics and correlations with a range of demographic, family context, parenting, and child adjustment measures. Higher HOME-21 scores were correlated with obtaining a high school diploma or equivalency diploma (in GSMS only), having 4 or more years of college, and household income. HOME-21 was also correlated with having a more favorable family context indexed by fewer stressful life events (in FT only), less household food insecurity, lower household chaos, and more perceived social support. Higher HOME-21 scores were correlated with better parenting in the form of parental acceptance, positive parenting, warm involvement, appropriate and consistent discipline, verbal discussion, less physical aggression, and greater parental self-efficacy. Higher HOME-21 scores were correlated with better child adjustment in terms of fewer emotional and conduct problems, less hyperactivity, and more prosocial behavior. The HOME-21 has utility for use in future studies of children's home environments in the 21st century. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Housing quality and access to material and learning resources within the home environment in developing countries.

This study examined home environment conditions (housing quality, material resources, formal and informal learning materials) and their relations with the Human Development Index (HDI) in 28 developing countries. Home environment conditions in these countries varied widely. The quality of housing and availability of material resources at home were consistently tied to HDI; the availability of formal and informal learning materials a little less so. Gross domestic product (GDP) tended to show a stronger independent relation with housing quality and material resources than life expectancy and education. Formal learning resources were independently related to the GDP and education indices, and informal learning resources were not independently related to any constituent indices of the overall HDI.

Migration timing and parenting practices: contributions to social development in preschoolers with foreign-born and native-born mothers.

Little is known about how key aspects of parental migration or childrearing history affect social development across children from immigrant families. Relying on data on approximately 6,400 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, analyses assessed the role of mother's age at migration on children's social development in the United States (sociability and problem behaviors). Consistent with models of divergent adaptation and assimilation, the relation between age at arrival and children's social development is not linear. Parenting practices, observed when children were approximately 24months of age, partially mediated the relation between mother's age at arrival and children's social development reported at approximate age 48months, particularly in the case of mothers who arrived as adults.

A Systematic Overview of Meta-Analyses on Socioeconomic Status, Cognitive Ability, and Achievement: The Need to Focus on Specific Pathways.

Meta-analyses on the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and performance on measures of cognitive ability and achievement arrive at the same general conclusion of a small to medium association. Advancements in methods make possible for meta-analyses to examine specific pathways linking SES to cognitive ability and achievement, as well as the moderators of these pathways. In this study, we conducted a systematic overview of meta-analyses on SES to address three research questions: 1) what is the direction and overall strength of association between SES and performance on measures of cognitive ability and achievement, and how precise are the effect sizes reported? 2) to what extent have meta-analyses examined moderation by components of SES, age, sex, and race/ethnicity? and 3) to what extent have meta-analyses examined mechanisms linking SES to cognitive ability and achievement? We conducted a systematic search using online archives (i.e., PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed, Sociological Abstracts, and Web of Science), searching issues in Psychological Bulletin and Review of Educational Research, and examining references and citations. We identified 14 meta-analyses published between 1982 and 2019. These meta-analyses consistently reported positive associations of small to medium magnitude, indicating that SES is a meaningful contributor to the development of cognitive ability and achievement. Fewer meta-analyses reported evidence of moderation by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. None of the meta-analyses directly examined mechanisms, but provided evidence of possible mechanisms for future research. We suggest that meta-analyses can increase their contribution to future research, interventions, and policy by narrowing their focus on specific pathways.

Socioeconomic status and depressive symptoms: An individual-participant data meta-analysis on range restriction and measurement in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptoms is well documented, yet less attention has been paid to the methodological factors contributing to between-study variability. We examined the moderating role of range restriction and the depressive-symptom measurement instrument used in estimating the correlation between components of SES and depressive symptoms. METHODS: We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis of nationally-representative, public-access datasets in the United States. We identified 123 individual datasets with a total of 1,655,991 participants (56.8 % female, mean age = 40.33). RESULTS: The presence of range restriction was associated with larger correlations between income and depressive symptoms and with smaller correlations between years of education and depressive symptoms. The measurement instrument of depressive symptoms moderated the association for income, years of education, and occupational status/prestige. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale consistently produced larger correlations. Higher measurement reliability was also associated with larger correlations. LIMITATIONS: This study was not a comprehensive review of all measurement instruments of depressive symptoms, focused on datasets from the United States, and did not examine the moderating role of sample characteristics. DISCUSSION: Methodological characteristics, including range restriction of SES and instrument of depressive symptoms, meaningfully influence the observed magnitude of association between SES and depressive symptoms. Clinicians and researchers designing future studies should consider which instrument of depressive symptoms is suitable for their purpose and population.

Does the quality of stimulation and support in the home environment moderate the effect of early education programs?

The current study was designed to investigate how the quality of stimulation and support available to children in the home interacts with participation in Early Head Start to determine children's development. Data were obtained as part of the national evaluation of Early Head Start (EHSRE), a randomized trial involving 3,001 children and families from 17 program sites. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the interaction of EHS with (a) early maternal emotional warmth and (b) provision of a stimulating home environment on children's development at ages 3 and 5. Findings showed EHS sometimes differentially benefited children who came from households where the levels of warmth and stimulation were lowest. However, there was evidence of other forms of moderation as well.

Climbing Mountains and Avoiding Slippery Slopes: Challenges in Constructing Measures of Children's Environments.

ABSTRACT: Constructing valid, useful measures of children's environments is critical for advancing knowledge about relations between environmental conditions and child well-being. The approach to constructing useful measures of children's environments varies somewhat from the approach needed to construct valid, useful measures of children's personal characteristics. The commentary includes a review of literature on the distinction between reflective indicators and causal/formative indicators because it applies to the construction of measures of human environments. It also offers suggestions on how to select indicators for inclusion in measures of the environment and how to select assessments of child outcomes for validating measures of children's environments.