ABSTRACT

Children living in poverty often show delayed cognitive and social development compared with children reared in more affluent environments. However, much of the research focuses on how objective financial strain (e.g. household income) impacts preschoolers’ executive function (EF); little research has considered the impacts of parents’ psychological experience of financial strain. The current study examined impoverished children’s (N =106, Mage =52.78 months) hot (i.e., emotionally-salient) and cool (i.e., not emotionally-salient) EF in concert with parents’ psychological experiences of financial strain. One hundred six preschool children from low-income families completed the Day/Night Stroop task and the Whisper task, assessing cool and hot EF, respectively. Parents completed the Economic Strain Questionnaire and provided objective socioeconomic information. Findings revealed that parents’ psychological experience of economic strain fully mediated the relation from poverty severity to children’s cool EF, and moderated the link between poverty exposure and children’s hot EF performance. These findings suggest that parents’ subjective financial strain plays a significant and unique role on economically at-risk children’s EF performance, over and above the impacts of objective financial strain. Limitations and implications are discussed.

摘要

与在较富裕的环境中抚养的儿童相比，生活在贫困中的儿童通常表现出延迟的认知和社会发展。但是，许多研究集中在客观的财务压力（例如家庭收入）如何影响学龄前儿童的执行功能（EF）上。很少有研究考虑到父母的财务压力心理经历的影响。本研究调查了贫困儿童（N = 106，法师= 52.78个月）的热（即在情感上是显着的）和凉爽的（即在情感上没有显着的）EF，并与父母的财务压力心理经历相结合。来自低收入家庭的106名学龄前儿童完成了昼/夜Stroop任务和Whisper任务，分别评估了冷和热EF。父母填写了《经济压力调查表》并提供了客观的社会经济信息。研究结果表明，父母对经济压力的心理经历完全调节了贫困程度与儿童清凉EF之间的关系，并缓和了贫困暴露与儿童炎热EF之间的联系。这些发现表明，除了客观财务压力的影响之外，父母的主观财务压力对经济上有风险的孩子的EF表现起着重要而独特的作用。限制和含义进行了讨论。这些发现表明，除了客观财务压力的影响之外，父母的主观财务压力对经济上有风险的孩子的EF表现起着重要而独特的作用。限制和含义进行了讨论。这些发现表明，除了客观财务压力的影响之外，父母的主观财务压力对经济上有风险的孩子的EF表现起着重要而独特的作用。限制和含义进行了讨论。