The intergenerational transmission of executive function: The mediating effect of parental harsh discipline

The important roles of parental EF in shaping children's EF is less clear, especially in Chinese families. Moreover, it is suggested that the negative parenting behavior may be important environmental mechanisms underlying the EF transmission.

This study aimed to examine the transmission of EF across generations and the mediating roles of parental harsh discipline in this transmission in a Chinese sample.

A total of 311 Chinese preschool-aged children and their fathers and mothers were recruited from three public kindergartens in Beijing.

The Chinese version of Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), Parent-child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschooler Version (BRIEF-P) were respectively used to assess parental EF, harsh discipline and children's EF.

Both paternal and maternal EF positively predicted children's EF (β_paternal = 0.16, p < .01; β_maternal = 0.42, p < .001), and maternal but not paternal psychological aggression (standardized indirect estimate = 0.03, p < .05) and corporal punishment (standardized indirect estimate = 0.02, p < .05) mediated the above transmission.

These findings broaden our understanding of the distal or proximal factors and processes that account for the development of child EF in Chinese culture. Interventions focusing on improving parental especially maternal parenting practices would be helpful to shape children's EF or to interrupt the transmission of poor EF.