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Cognitive and Socioemotional Caregiving in Developing Countries
Author(s) -
Bornstein Marc H.,
Putnick Diane L.
Publication year - 2012
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/j.1467-8624.2011.01673.x
Subject(s) - socioemotional selectivity theory , psychology , developmental psychology , cognition , cognitive development , child development , expectancy theory , intervention (counseling) , social psychology , psychiatry
Enriching caregiving practices foster the course and outcome of child development. This study examined 2 developmentally significant domains of positive caregiving—cognitive and socioemotional—in more than 127,000 families with under‐5 year children from 28 developing countries. Mothers varied widely in cognitive and socioemotional caregiving and engaged in more socioemotional than cognitive activities. More than half of mothers played with their children and took them outside, but only a third or fewer read books and told stories to their children. The GDP of countries related to caregiving after controlling for life expectancy and education. The majority of mothers report that they do not leave their under‐5s alone. Policy and intervention recommendations are elaborated.