Dissertation
Examining Childcare Factors as Moderators of the Relation Between Attachment Security and Executive Functioning
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005358
Abstract
A child’s relationship with their mother is one of the most salient components of their early development. Whether that relationship is characterized as securely attached – providing a “secure base” from which to explore the world – or insecurely attached influences outcomes across social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive domains. Recent work indicates that children who are securely attached have better developed executive functioning (EF) skills, which are associated with academic success. Still, few studies have examined this relation, and the present study sought to examine whether more secure attachment when children were 36 months would be associated with better developed EF during first grade. The second objective of the present study was to investigate whether an additional aspect of a child’s early environment, their childcare arrangement, moderates the relation between attachment security and EF, by perhaps scaffolding the development of EF skills. To answer these questions, a data set of 1006 participants from Phases I and II of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) was analyzed. Attachment security and childcare factors (i.e., whether participants attended care, the quality of care, and the type of care arrangement) were measured at 36 months (Time 1). Three aspects of functioning associated with EF (i.e., planning, disinhibition, and mother- and teacher-reported attention problems) were measured during first grade (Time 2). Consistent with hypotheses, attachment security was significantly positively related to planning and significantly negatively related to mother- and teacher-reported attention problems. Attachment was not related to disinhibition. Also counter to hypotheses, childcare factors did not moderate the relation between attachment security and EF. The findings of the present study support longitudinal associations between child attachment security and EF skills. Providing adequate screening and resources to mothers to support them in forming a secure bond with their child is recommended. In this way, mothers can be better positioned to support their children’s emerging EF skills.
Metrics
2 File views/ downloads
41 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Examining Childcare Factors as Moderators of the Relation Between Attachment Security and Executive Functioning
- Creators
- Erinn Savage
- Contributors
- Paul S Strand (Advisor)Tammy D Barry (Committee Member)Maria A Gartstein (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 81
- Identifiers
- 99901031440301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation