Socioeconomic Resource Environments in Biological and Alternative Family Care and Children's Cognitive Performance

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Wheel Running and Environmental Complexity as a Therapeutic Intervention in an Animal Model of FASD
06:09

Wheel Running and Environmental Complexity as a Therapeutic Intervention in an Animal Model of FASD

Published on: February 2, 2017

7.1K

Sarah Font1, Marina Haddock Potter2

  • 1Department of Sociology and Criminology, Pennsylvania State University, 505 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16801, Saf252@psu.edu, 814/863-2259.

Sociological Inquiry
|June 12, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Child welfare research
  • Developmental psychology
  • Socioeconomic factors in child development

Background:

  • Child protective services (CPS) involvement can impact a child's development.
  • Understanding the role of a child's environment is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between socioeconomic resources in children's environments and their cognitive performance.
  • To determine if this association varies based on family care type for children investigated by CPS.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a national dataset of child protection investigations.
  • Employed latent class analysis to create profiles of family resources (financial, parental education/employment, family structure).
  • Examined associations between resource profiles and cognitive scores (math, reading) over time, by family care type.

Main Results:

  • Identified four family resource environments: educated middle class, single earner, large working class, and severely disadvantaged.
  • Family resource environments predicted cognitive performance and changes in performance.
  • Associations were more consistent for children in biological family care.

Conclusions:

  • Children remaining in home after maltreatment allegations may benefit from interventions addressing social and economic resources.
  • Targeting environmental resources can support cognitive development in children involved with CPS.
Abstract

Keywords:
child maltreatmentchild protective servicescognitive developmentfoster carekinship care

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model04:20

Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model

Published on: July 12, 2024

2.3K
Author Spotlight: Capturing Infant-Caregiver Interactions Through Synchronized Multimodal Data Collection08:08

Author Spotlight: Capturing Infant-Caregiver Interactions Through Synchronized Multimodal Data Collection

Published on: May 31, 2024

1.3K

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
771
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
397
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
411
Impact of Social Context on Individuals01:21

Impact of Social Context on Individuals

Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
217
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
127
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences01:28

Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

Social behavior is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between biological predispositions and environmental influences. This intricate interplay shapes how individuals think, feel, and act in various social contexts. Understanding these mechanisms requires insights from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and evolutionary theory.Environmental Influences on Social BehaviorEnvironmental factors, including temperature, odors, and visual stimuli, play a crucial role in shaping...
170