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The relationship between cognitive abilities and maternal ratings of externalizing behaviors in preschool children
Author(s) -
Andersson Helle W.,
Sommerfelt Kristian
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9450.00256
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , cognition , human factors and ergonomics , injury prevention , poison control , clinical psychology , medical emergency , psychiatry , medicine
The association between child cognitive abilities and maternal ratings of child externalizing behaviors was investigated in a randomly selected sample of 290 preschool children. Child cognitive abilities were assessed by the WPPSI–R, whereas mothers completed the Yale Children's Inventory for the assessment of child externalizing behaviors. Maternal education, and maternal child–rearing style, as defined by scores on the Child Rearing Practices Report, was significantly related to perceived externalizing child behavior. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that for girls, low child IQ remained a significant predictor of perceived externalizing behavior when effects of maternal education and child–rearing style were controlled for ( p < 0.01). Maternal child–rearing style made independent contributions to explaining variance in girls’ and boys’ behavior score. The results are discussed in terms of differential gender socialization practices and gender stereotypes.