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Differential associations of maternal behavior to preschool boys' and girls' executive function

Daphne M Vrantsidis1, Lauren S Wakschlag2, Kimberly Andrews Espy3,4

  • 1Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology
|May 23, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Boys

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Parental behavior significantly influences children's executive function development.
  • Boys may exhibit heightened sensitivity to environmental influences compared to girls.
  • The vulnerability model suggests certain groups are more susceptible to negative environmental impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interaction between child sex and maternal behavior in relation to executive function.
  • To test the differential susceptibility or vulnerability model in early childhood.
  • To understand sex-specific effects of maternal responsiveness on executive function.

Main Methods:

  • 146 36-month-old children and their mothers participated.
  • Maternal responsiveness and negative reactivity were observed during structured interactions.
  • Executive function was assessed using latent self-control and working memory/inhibitory control (WMIC) measures.

Main Results:

  • A significant interaction between child sex and maternal responsiveness was found for self-control, but not for WMIC.
  • Boys exhibited poorer self-control when maternal responsiveness was low, compared to girls.
  • This finding supports the vulnerability model for boys' self-control development.

Conclusions:

  • Boys' self-control is more vulnerable to low maternal responsiveness than girls'.
  • Maternal behavior plays a crucial role in shaping boys' self-control.
  • These findings help explain the increased risk for externalizing behavior problems in boys.

Keywords:
Early childhoodExecutive FunctionParentingSex differences

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