The developmental cascade of early parenting, emergence of executive functioning, and emotional symptoms across childhood

Many studies focus on proximal associations between parental sensitivity and emotional well‐being in early childhood, with less data examining how parenting in infancy predicts children's emotional trajectories across childhood, in particular negative emotional symptoms of anxiety and depression. Thus, this study utilized data from The Family Life Project ( N = 1015), a prospective study of child development in rural poverty, and assessed whether sensitive parenting in the first 4 years of life predicted child internalizing emotional symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression) from kindergarten to fifth grade and whether early child executive functioning mediated this relationship. Path models indicated that observation of sensitive parenting predicted a decrease in teachers’ report of child negative emotional symptoms over time and predicted fewer negative emotional symptoms in fifth grade. Moreover, though executive functioning performance did not mediate change in symptoms over time, executive functioning did mediate the relationship between sensitive parenting and fifth‐grade symptoms, suggesting that executive functioning is one mechanism by which early sensitive parenting buffers long‐term emotional development. Findings highlight the importance of early parenting and executive functioning in development of anxiety and depression symptoms and suggests potential targets for transdiagnostic intervention

Cognition · Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Executive functions · Late childhood · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Early Childhood Education and Development · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Neuroscience · Psychology

• The Role of Parenting on Child Socioemotional Development

  Open Access•Adriane X Arteche, Otávio Amaral De Andrade Leão et al.•Child & Youth Care Forum•2026

  Incluir item

• Executive function in early childhood

  Michael T Willoughby, Family Life Project Investigators et al.•Psychological Assessment•2012

  Incluir item

• Differential Effects of Maternal Sensitivity to Infant Distress and Nondistress on Social-Emotional Functioning

  Open Access•Esther M Leerkes, A Nayena Blankson et al.•Child Development•2009

  Incluir item

• Parent influences on early childhood internalizing difficulties

  Open Access•Jordana K Bayer, Ann Sanson et al.•Journal of Applied Developmental…•2006

  Incluir item

• Parental Behaviours Predicting Early Childhood Executive Functions

  Open Access•Debora S Valcan, Helen Davis et al.•Educational Psychology Review•2018

  Incluir item

• Potential role of childrearing practices in the development of anxiety and depression

  Open Access•Ronald M Rapee, R Rapee•Clinical Psychology Review•1997

  Incluir item

• From External Regulation to Self-Regulation

  Open Access•Annie Bernier, Stephanie M Carlson et al.•Child Development•2010

  Incluir item

• Peer relations in childhood

  Open Access•Dale F Hay, Alexandra Payne et al.•Journal of Child Psychology and…•2004

  Incluir item

• Exploring the nature of cognitive flexibility

  Open Access•Thea Ionescu•New Ideas in Psychology•2012

  Incluir item

• Examining the association between parenting and childhood depression

  Open Access•Bryce D McLeod, John R Weisz et al.•Clinical Psychology Review•2007

  Incluir item

• Parent–child interactions and anxiety disorders

  Open Access•Jennifer L Hudson, Ronald M Rapee•Behaviour Research and Therapy•2001

  Incluir item

• The contribution of inhibitory control to preschoolers' social–emotional competence

  Open Access•Brittany L Rhoades, Mark T Greenberg et al.•Journal of Applied Developmental…•2009

  Incluir item

• The Enduring Predictive Significance of Early Maternal Sensitivity

  Open Access•K Lee Raby, Glenn I Roisman et al.•Child Development•2015

  Incluir item

• Executive function and the promotion of social–emotional competence

  Open Access•Nathaniel R Riggs, Laudan B Jahromi et al.•Journal of Applied Developmental…•2006

  Incluir item

• Relationships between self-efficacy and symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression in a normal adolescent sample

  Open Access•Peter Muris•Personality and Individual…•2002

  Incluir item

• Emotion-Related Self-Regulation and Its Relation to Children's Maladjustment

  Nancy Eisenberg, Tracy L Spinrad et al.•Annual Review of Clinical…•2010

  Incluir item

• Parenting Influences on Executive Function in Early Childhood

  Open Access•Tracey Fay-Stammbach, Tracey Fay‐Stammbach et al.•Child Development Perspectives•2014

  Incluir item

• Social factors in the development of early executive functioning

  Open Access•Annie Bernier, Stephanie M Carlson et al.•Developmental Science•2012

  Incluir item

• The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

  Open Access•Robert Goodman•Journal of Child Psychology and…•1997

  Incluir item

• Maternal Sensitivity and Internalizing Problems

  Open Access•Rianne Kok, Mariëlle Linting et al.•Child Psychiatry & Human…•2013

  Incluir item

• Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Aggression in Non-clinical Children

  Open Access•Peter Muris, Els van der Pennen et al.•Child Psychiatry & Human…•2008

  Incluir item

• Sensitive parenting is the foundation for secure attachment relationships and positive social-emotional development of children

  Open Access•Anja Van Der Voort, Femmie Juffer et al.•Journal of Children s Services•2014

  Incluir item

• The Role of the Family Context in the Development of Emotion Regulation

  Open Access•Amanda S Morris, Jennifer S Silk et al.•Social Development•2007

  Incluir item

• Psychosocial Precursors and Correlates of Differing Internalizing Trajectories from 3 to 15 Years 1

  Open Access•Primrose Letcher, Devin Smart et al.•Social Development•2008

  Incluir item

• Bidirectional Associations Between Parental Responsiveness and Executive Function During Early Childhood

  Open Access•Emily C Merz, Susan H Landry et al.•Social Development•2016

  Incluir item

• Caregiver–child verbal interactions in child care

  Lynne Vernon‐feagan, Mary Bratsch‐hine•Early Childhood Research Quarterly•2013

  Incluir item

• Child care instability from 6 to 36 months and the social adjustment of children in prekindergarten

  Open Access•Mary Bratsch‐hine, Irina L Mokrova et al.•Early Childhood Research Quarterly•2014

  Incluir item

• Can Developmental Changes in Inhibition and Peer Relationships Explain Why Depressive Symptoms Increase in Early Adolescence

  Open Access•Katharine Ann Buck, Theodore Dix•Journal of Youth and Adolescence•2012

  Incluir item

• Relations of maternal socialization and toddlers' effortful control to children's adjustment and social competence

  Tracy L Spinrad, Nancy Eisenberg et al.•Developmental Psychology•2007

  Incluir item

• Longitudinal relations of children’s effortful control, impulsivity, and negative emotionality to their externalizing, internalizing, and co-occurring behavior problems

  Nancy Eisenberg, Carlos Valiente et al.•Developmental Psychology•2009

  Incluir item

• Chronicity of maternal depressive symptoms, maternal sensitivity, and child functioning at 36 months

  National Inst of Child Health & Human Development•Developmental Psychology•1999

  Incluir item

• Development of inhibitory control across the life span

  Benjamin R Williams, Jonathan S Ponesse et al.•Developmental Psychology•1999

  Incluir item

• School readiness

  Clancy Blair•American Psychologist•2002

  Incluir item

• Teacher-Child Relationship and Behavior Problem Trajectories in Elementary School

  Open Access•Erin E O’connor, Erin O’connor et al.•American Educational Research…•2011

  Incluir item

• The Unity and Diversity of Executive Functions and Their Contributions to Complex “Frontal Lobe” Tasks

  Open Access•Akira Miyake, Naomi P Friedman et al.•Cognitive Psychology•2000

  Incluir item