Journal of consulting and clinical psychology·1988
Area of Science:
Child psychology
Developmental psychology
Family studies
Background:
Self-care arrangements for children are common in elementary school.
Understanding the impact of self-care on child development and well-being is crucial.
Previous research has explored various aspects of children's independent care, but specific links to psychological and behavioral outcomes require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
To investigate the relationship between self-care and children's self-reported behavioral or attitudinal deviance.
To examine the connection between self-care and children's liking for school.
To explore the influence of specific self-care dimensions (temporal, physical, structural, psychological) on these outcomes.
Main Methods:
Surveyed fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students.
Utilized the Child Self-Care Measure (CSCM), a multiscale self-report instrument.
Assessed self-care across four dimensions: temporal, physical, structural, and psychological.
Main Results:
Self-care in general was not linked to deviance.
Increased psychological self-care correlated with reduced liking for school.
Caring for younger siblings >1 year was linked to more deviant behaviors.
Caring for younger siblings <16 years >4 years was linked to greater tolerance for deviance.
Conclusions:
Children in self-care may not be developmentally ready for sibling care responsibilities.
Long-term self-care may present greater challenges for boys than girls.
Psychological self-care aspects significantly impact children's school attitudes.