TY - JOUR
T1 - Prediction of toddlers' expressive language from maternal sensitivity and toddlers' anger expressions
T2 - A developmental perspective
AU - Nozadi, Sara S.
AU - Spinrad, Tracy
AU - Eisenberg, Nancy
AU - Bolnick, Rebecca
AU - Eggum-Wilkens, Natalie D.
AU - Smith, Cynthia L.
AU - Gaertner, Bridget
AU - Kupfer, Anne
AU - Sallquist, Julie
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - Despite evidence for the importance of individual differences in expressive language during toddlerhood in predicting later literacy skills, few researchers have examined individual and contextual factors related to language abilities across the toddler years. Furthermore, a gap remains in the literature about the extent to which the relations of negative emotions and parenting to language skills may differ for girls and boys. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the associations among maternal sensitivity, children's observed anger reactivity, and expressive language when children were 18 (T1; n= 247) and 30 (T2; n= 216) months. At each age, mothers reported on their toddlers' expressive language, and mothers' sensitive parenting behavior was observed during an unstructured free-play task. Toddlers' anger expressions were observed during an emotion-eliciting task. Using path modeling, results showed few relations at T1. At T2, maternal sensitivity was negatively related to anger, and in turn, anger was associated with lower language skills. However, moderation analyses showed that these findings were significant for boys but not for girls. In addition, T1 maternal sensitivity and anger positively predicted expressive language longitudinally for both sexes. Findings suggest that the relations between maternal sensitivity, anger reactivity and expressive language may vary depending on the child's developmental stage and sex.
AB - Despite evidence for the importance of individual differences in expressive language during toddlerhood in predicting later literacy skills, few researchers have examined individual and contextual factors related to language abilities across the toddler years. Furthermore, a gap remains in the literature about the extent to which the relations of negative emotions and parenting to language skills may differ for girls and boys. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the associations among maternal sensitivity, children's observed anger reactivity, and expressive language when children were 18 (T1; n= 247) and 30 (T2; n= 216) months. At each age, mothers reported on their toddlers' expressive language, and mothers' sensitive parenting behavior was observed during an unstructured free-play task. Toddlers' anger expressions were observed during an emotion-eliciting task. Using path modeling, results showed few relations at T1. At T2, maternal sensitivity was negatively related to anger, and in turn, anger was associated with lower language skills. However, moderation analyses showed that these findings were significant for boys but not for girls. In addition, T1 maternal sensitivity and anger positively predicted expressive language longitudinally for both sexes. Findings suggest that the relations between maternal sensitivity, anger reactivity and expressive language may vary depending on the child's developmental stage and sex.
KW - Anger
KW - Child sex
KW - Expressive language
KW - Maternal sensitivity
KW - Toddlers' negative emotions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881251702&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84881251702&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.06.002
DO - 10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.06.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 23911594
AN - SCOPUS:84881251702
SN - 0163-6383
VL - 36
SP - 650
EP - 661
JO - Infant Behavior and Development
JF - Infant Behavior and Development
IS - 4
ER -