The objective of the proposed research is to investigate the effects of nonparental infant day care on socio-emotional and cognitive development in infants and preschoolers. This will entail a prospective longitudinal study of 220 mothers and their firstborn children, beginning shortly after the child's birth and continuing until the child is 42 months of age. Mothers will be interviewed 2 to 6 weeks postpartum; mothers and children will be seen again when the child is 3, 15, 18, 24, 36, and 42 months of age. Information about the child's nonparental care will be collected every 6 months. Because of the significance of nonparental infant care for the development of secure mother-infant relationships, concepts from attachment theory will be used to guide the investigation. A framework is presented in which to consider the contributions of variables often associated with nonparental care. These include (1) differences in employed and nonemployed mothers' attitudes toward separation and attachment, views of their infants, and life circumstances, (2) differences in employed and nonemployed mother's interactions with their infants, and (3) specific features of the child's experience in nonparental care. Maternal life circumstances to be examined include role preference and role congruence, social support, stress, maternal coping and marital adjustment. Not only will the separate contributions of each of these variables be considered, but also to be assessed are how these variables operate in combination and over time to influence child developmental outcome. In addition, special attention will be given to the developmental timing of the mother's return to employment as it might moderate the effects of nonparental care. This information will be useful to individual families, child care professionals, developmental psychologists, and public policy planners in planning nonparental day care for infants.

Project Start
1989-05-01
Project End
1993-12-31
Budget Start
1991-01-01
Budget End
1991-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Temple University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19122
Reynolds, Katharine C; Alfano, Candice A (2016) Childhood Bedtime Problems Predict Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms Through Emotional Reactivity. J Pediatr Psychol 41:971-82
Marceau, Kristine; Ram, Nilam; Susman, Elizabeth (2015) Development and Lability in the Parent-Child Relationship During Adolescence: Associations With Pubertal Timing and Tempo. J Res Adolesc 25:474-489
Crosnoe, Robert; Augustine, Jennifer March; Huston, Aletha C (2012) Children's early child care and their mothers' later involvement with schools. Child Dev 83:758-72
Marceau, Kristine; Ram, Nilam; Houts, Renate M et al. (2011) Individual differences in boys' and girls' timing and tempo of puberty: modeling development with nonlinear growth models. Dev Psychol 47:1389-409
Monahan, Kathryn C; Steinberg, Laurence (2011) Accentuation of Individual Differences in Social Competence During the Transition to Adolescence. J Res Adolesc 21:576-585
Haltigan, John D; Roisman, Glenn I; Susman, Elizabeth J et al. (2011) Elevated trajectories of externalizing problems are associated with lower awakening cortisol levels in midadolescence. Dev Psychol 47:472-8
Luijk, Maartje P C M; Roisman, Glenn I; Haltigan, John D et al. (2011) Dopaminergic, serotonergic, and oxytonergic candidate genes associated with infant attachment security and disorganization? In search of main and interaction effects. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 52:1295-307
Dupere, Veronique; Leventhal, Tama; Crosnoe, Robert et al. (2010) Understanding the positive role of neighborhood socioeconomic advantage in achievement: the contribution of the home, child care, and school environments. Dev Psychol 46:1227-44
Roisman, Glenn I; Monahan, Kathryn C; Campbell, Susan B et al. (2010) Is adolescence-onset antisocial behavior developmentally normative? Dev Psychopathol 22:295-311
Crosnoe, Robert; Leventhal, Tama; Wirth, R J et al. (2010) Family socioeconomic status and consistent environmental stimulation in early childhood. Child Dev 81:972-87

Showing the most recent 10 out of 17 publications