Attention and Memory: Mother-Child Psychophysiology and Behavior

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Well-regulated attention and memory processes are critical to healthy cognitive development in childhood and beyond. Although nearly all children show dramatic improvements in their self-regulation of these cognitive processes, the etiology of individual differences and this developmental progression is poorly understood. Current theory postulates that bio-social mechanisms are most likely involved, and in particular, that optimal development of self-regulated attention and working memory is promoted not only by certain complements of genes but by co-occurring socialization experiences within the family. The aim of the proposed study of mothers and their 48-month-old children is to conduct a systematic analysis of mother-child similarities and differences in behavioral and psycho-physiological indicators of executive attention and memory, and to examine the role of maternal scaffolding and socialization behavior in these cross-generation links. A growing literature on genetic and neural influences on executive attention and memory suggests that family studies should reveal evidence of moderate effect sizes representing parent-offspring similarity. This similarity could arise from the transmission of genes that influence individual differences in executive attention and memory or the influence of maternal behavior on young children's developing self-regulation of these cognitive processes-although the mechanisms probably involve both. Thus, the first aim of this study is to develop a measurement protocol that permits reliable and valid assessment of adult and 4-year-old phenotypes representing executive attention and memory, evidenced as strong internal and external validity within age-group. The second aim is to investigate whether and how maternal executive attention and memory are associated with 4-year-old biological children's executive attention and memory by estimating the statistical associations between mother and child behavioral and EEG measures. Furthermore, the third aim is to examine how maternal scaffolding behaviors (i.e., engagement of joint attention; encouragement of persistence; age-appropriate demonstration, support, and re-direction) operate in accounting for systematic patterns of mother-child similarity and differentiation. This investigation will focus on behavioral and EEG measures of executive attention and memory, to test whether the behavioral and psycho-physiological levels of analysis reflect similar or distinctive underlying processes in the links between mother and child generations. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Although the care giving environment has been given an essential role in social development, little attention has been given to the role of care giving in the development of complex cognitions, which are associated with school achievement, including reading and math. Because of these critical outcomes, there is a need to examine the development of these cognitive processes and to include both genetic transmission and the influence of maternal behaviors.