Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2025
05:35
Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
Published on: April 19, 2017
6.6K
Grandparent support moderates the relation between socioeconomic status and children's cognitive development
1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University at Lima.
Summary
Grandparents positively influence children's cognitive development by buffering socioeconomic status (SES) effects. Their support, especially emotional, mitigates negative impacts, highlighting their crucial role in family well-being.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Grandparental support is vital for American families but under-researched.
- Socioeconomic status (SES) impacts children's cognitive development.
- The buffering role of grandparents in this relationship is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of grandparents on children's cognitive development.
- To examine if grandparental support buffers the association between parental SES and children's cognitive outcomes.
- To identify factors influencing the type and extent of grandparental support.
Main Methods:
- Survey data from 437 parents across 45 U.S. states on 1,047 grandparent relationships.
- Assessed parental SES (income, education) and children's cognitive development (language, literacy, numbers).
- Quantified grandparental support (financial, instrumental, emotional, informational) and relationship factors (closeness, interaction frequency, distance).
Main Results:
- Parental SES significantly predicted preschoolers' cognitive development.
- Higher levels of grandparental support weakened the negative relationship between lower SES and cognitive development.
- Grandparents provided more support when emotionally close and interacting frequently with grandchildren; emotional support was distance-dependent.
Conclusions:
- Grandparents play a significant buffering role, mitigating the adverse effects of lower SES on children's cognitive development.
- Grandparental support, particularly emotional and educational resources, is crucial for child development.
- Family dynamics and closeness influence the provision of grandparental support, underscoring their integrated role in child-rearing.
More Related Videos
09:01A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
Published on: May 7, 2014
10.1K
07:01Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
7.9K
Related Concept Videos
01:30Information Processing Approach
30
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...
30
01:29Environmental Influences on Intelligence
219
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...
219
01:22Vygotsky's Cognitive Development in Cultural Context
35
Lev Vygotsky, a pioneering Russian psychologist, developed a theory of cognitive development that centers on the influence of social and cultural factors. Unlike Jean Piaget, who emphasized the child's direct interaction with the physical world as key to development, Vygotsky argued that cognitive growth is an interpersonal process that unfolds within a cultural context. For Vygotsky, a child's learning cannot be separated from their social environment, which includes the values,...
35
01:30Biological Influences on Intelligence
74
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...
74
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
65
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
65
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
49
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Primary Temperament Types
49