Preschoolers’ Attentional and Behavioral Regulation: Differential Pathways through Poverty and Parenting

• Published in: Journal of child and family studies 2024-10, Vol.33 (10), p.3384-3401
• Main Authors: Liu, Qingyang, Zhang, Ying, Razza, Rachel A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceptance; Aggravation; Behavior; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child and School Psychology; Child Rearing; Households; Infancy; Original Paper; Parent Materials; Parenting Styles; Parents & parenting; Poverty; Preschool children; Psychology; Self regulation; Social Sciences; Sociology
• ISSN: 1062-1024; 1573-2843
• DOI: 10.1007/s10826-024-02917-9

This study explored specificity in the associations between early poverty and preschoolers’ behavioral and attentional regulation. In particular, there was an emphasis on delineating contextual factors (i.e., material hardship and household chaos) and parenting processes (i.e., maternal aggravation and maternal acceptance) as sequential mechanisms. The sample included 2850 families from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Results suggested that early poverty in infancy (age one) was associated with behavioral regulation and attentional regulation in preschool years (age five). Material hardship mediated the link between early poverty and behavioral regulation, while household chaos mediated the link between early poverty and attentional regulation. Additionally, maternal aggravation mediated the association between material hardship and behavioral regulation, while maternal acceptance mediated the associations between household chaos and attentional and behavioral regulation. Findings informed targeted interventions to alleviate hardship and chaos and promote positive parenting practices to bolster children’s self-regulation. Highlights Early poverty in infancy was associated with preschoolers’ behavioral regulation and attentional regulation. Material hardship mediated the link between early poverty and behavioral regulation. Household chaos mediated the link between early poverty and attentional regulation. Maternal aggravation mediated the association between material hardship and behavioral regulation. Maternal acceptance mediated the associations between household chaos and attentional and behavioral regulation.