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Former Latchkey Children: Personality and Academic Correlates
Stephen C Messer1, Karl L Wuensch2, John M Diamond3
1a Department of Psychology , The University of Mississippi , USA.
The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|February 1, 2017
Summary
Eighteen percent of college students were unsupervised latchkey children. This status was linked to being male, Caucasian, and from a single-parent home, but not academic or personality differences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Latchkey children, defined as those unsupervised after school, represent a significant demographic.
- Understanding the long-term correlates of this childhood experience is crucial for developmental research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of former latchkey status in a college student sample.
- To investigate demographic, personality, and academic correlates of being a former latchkey child.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a survey methodology with a sample of 188 college students.
- Administered personality questionnaires and verified academic aptitude test scores.
- Applied a clear operational definition for latchkey status.
Main Results:
- Identified an 18% overall prevalence rate of former latchkey children.
- Latchkey status was associated with being male (25%) versus female (14%), Caucasian, and from a one-parent household.
- No significant differences were found in personality traits or academic aptitude between former latchkey children and their peers.
Conclusions:
- Former latchkey status is prevalent among college students and associated with specific demographic factors.
- Childhood unsupervised time does not appear to impact personality or academic achievement in college.
- Further research could explore the long-term psychosocial implications.
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