PSYC1003 Study Guide - Final Guide: Externalizing Disorders, Physical Strength, Effect Size
Controversies in Development
Maternal Employment
• Two potential negative outcomes of increased maternal employment:
1. Decreased quality of maternal caregiving (esp. in first year), eg: attachment bonds may not
form.
2. Produce generations of "latchkey" children, leading to increases in delinquency.
• Quality of mother-child interactions does not diminish in working mothers (Gottfried et al.
2002).
• Working mothers spend more time engaging infants in social interaction (Huston & Aronson,
2005).
• Even during 1st year of life, results aren't consistent:
o In low-income African American mothers' early material employment predicts better
adjustment at age 7-years.
o In other ethnic groups, there is no relationship.
Specific benefits for girls:
• Hoffman (1989) - children with employed mothers more likely to reject traditional gender
roles (they have a positive role model).
• Hoffmann & Youngblade (1999) - more likely to be exposed to egalitarian (equality) parenting
→ greater feelings of effectiveness.
• Gottfried et al. (2002) - tend to have higher career aspirations.
Types of employment appear to matter:
• Duniform et al. (2013) - 3-5 yo children of mothers who work night shifts show increased
aggressive behaviour, anxiety and depression.
• Han et al. (2010) - adolescents with mothers who work night have lower quality home
environment.
o Effect does not hold for mothers who worked evening shifts that finish at midnight.
o Suggests maternal presence is important.
• A healthy balance is important → Mothers working part time:
o Have fewer depressive symptoms than non-working mothers.
o Show more sensitive parenting during preschool years and their children show less
externalising problems than mothers who work full time.
• Such effects need to be interpreted with some caution:
o They are statistical tendencies.
o They will interact with many other variables, eg: socioeconomic status.
Effects of Child Care
• In countries with uniformity good care, eg: Scandinavian counties, no relationship between
time in child care and problem behaviour.
• In the USA, where care is variable, long hours in poor quality care predicts poor outcomes, eg:
non-compliance, aggression, anxiety/depression.
• Unstable childcare environment, eg: number of changes in carers, also has negative effects.
• Interacts with socioeconomic status: children from poor families benefit from longer time in
child care.
• The most important factor appears to be the quality of the care.
o High quality care promotes development of cognitive abilities, language and attention,
(NICHD, 2002).
• Cause and effect can never be established - number of hours and quality of child care
determined by many factors, eg: financial situation and education choices.
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Document Summary
2002): working mothers spend more time engaging infants in social interaction (huston & aronson, 2005): even during 1st year of life, results aren"t consistent: In low-income african american mothers" early material employment predicts better adjustment at age 7-years. In other ethnic groups, there is no relationship. Specific benefits for girls: hoffman (1989) - children with employed mothers more likely to reject traditional gender roles (they have a positive role model), hoffmann & youngblade (1999) - more likely to be exposed to egalitarian (equality) parenting. Greater feelings of effectiveness: gottfried et al. (2002) - tend to have higher career aspirations. Such effects need to be interpreted with some caution: they are statistical tendencies, they will interact with many other variables, eg: socioeconomic status. In countries with uniformity good care, eg: scandinavian counties, no relationship between time in child care and problem behaviour.
