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Multigenerational Effects on Children's Cognitive and Socioemotional Outcomes: A Within‐Child Investigation
Author(s) -
Tanskanen Antti O.,
Danielsbacka Mirkka
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12968
Subject(s) - socioemotional selectivity theory , psychology , grandparent , developmental psychology , millennium cohort study (united states) , cognition , longitudinal study , child development , cognitive development , cohort study , psychiatry , medicine , pathology
Associations between grandparental investment and child outcomes were investigated using three waves of a longitudinal British Millennium Cohort Study that included children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years ( n = 24,614 person‐observations from 13,744 children). Grandparental investment was measured by parent–grandparent contact frequency and grandparental financial support. Child cognitive development was measured using the British Ability Scale and socioemotional outcomes using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Grandparental investment was associated with improved cognitive and socioemotional outcomes among children. However, these associations occurred because of between‐person effects and did not exist in within‐person analyses that compared the same children over time. The results are discussed in terms of their contribution to multigenerational relationships research.