Does parental autonomy support mediate the relation between parent and infant executive function? A study of mothers and fathers in the Netherlands and China

Infant Behavior and Development, vol. 71, pp. 101833

Abstract

Parenting skills, such as Autonomy Support (AS), have been proposed as a potential mechanism explaining the intergenerational contiguity of Executive Function (EF). However, few studies have focused on mothers and fathers among non-Western families. The current study investigated the role of maternal and paternal AS in the relation between parental EF and infant EF at 14 months of age among 123 Dutch and 63 Chinese first-time mothers and fathers and their infants. Multiple-group structural equation models were built for mothers and fathers separately with country as a grouping variable. Results showed that parental AS did not mediate the relation between parent EF and infant EF at 14 months. Mean-level differences were found in parental AS, maternal EF, and infant inhibition across countries, while no country differences were found in the relation between parent EF, AS and infant EF. Our findings suggested that individual differences in early EF may not be stable enough to be reliably predicted from parental factors across the Netherlands and China.

Authors 8

1. Li Wei corresponding Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands. Electronic address: w.li@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands

2. Harold T. Nefs Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands

3. Rosanneke A. G. Emmen Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands

4. Mi‐lan J. Woudstra Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands

5. Marjolein C.E. Branger Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands

6. La-Mei Wang

   Shenzhen University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, China

7. Lenneke R. A. Alink Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands

8. Judi Mesman Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands