Relations Between Changes in Maternal Hostility and Children's Cognitive and Social Functioning in Kindergarten

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe how changes in levels of maternal hostility relate to social and cognitive outcomes in children. Participants were 105 mothers/caregivers and their children who participated in Head Start in several north-central rural communities in Oklahoma. Each mother participated by completing several measures including the Demographic Information Questionnaire (DIQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), and the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI), among others. Children completed the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), which evaluated cognition. Finally, teachers completed the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ), the California Preschool Social Competency Scale, and Howes' Sociability subscale among other measures to collect information on the target children's cognitive and social functioning. Changes in maternal hostility were not found to be significantly associated with cognitive outcomes. However, changes in maternal hostility were significantly related to children's sociability and behavior problems.