title: Mothers' and Fathers' Sensitivity and Children's Cognitive Development in Low-Income, Rural Families.
abstract: This study examines associations between maternal and paternal sensitive parenting and child cognitive development across the first 3 years of life using longitudinal data from 630 families with co-residing biological mothers and fathers. Sensitive parenting was measured by observational coding of parent-child interactions and child cognitive development was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence. There were multiple direct and indirect associations between parenting and cognitive development across mothers and fathers, suggesting primary effects, carry-forward effects, spillover effects across parents, and transactional effects across parents and children. Associations between parenting and cognitive development were statistically consistent across mothers and fathers, and the cumulative effects of early parenting on later cognitive development were comparable to the effects of later parenting on later cognitive development. As interpreted through a family systems framework, findings suggest additive and interdependent effects across parents and children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies The University of North Carolina at Greensboro PO Box 26170 Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA.
authors.forename: W Roger
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Mills-Koonce
authors.affiliation: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 8185 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185, USA.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Willoughby
authors.affiliation: Center for Developmental Science The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 8115 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8115, USA.
authors.forename: Bharathi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zvara
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology The University of Arizona 1503 E University Blvd PO Box 210068 Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Center for Developmental Science The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 8115 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8115, USA.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.affiliation: Center for Developmental Science The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 8115 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8115, USA.
authors.forename: Martha J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cox
keywords: Parenting; cognitive development; fathers; longitudinal analyses; mothers; sensitivity