Impact of maternal, paternal mental state talk and quality of parenting on executive function of preschoolers

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal, paternal mental state talk and the quality of parenting on preschoolers’ executive function (EF) skills. The sample included 120 dyads (father–child & mother–child). The preschooler aged 3.1–5.99 years (M_age = 4.60, SD = .90) were approached at their schools to assess the EF using the EF touch battery. The quality of parenting was assessed using the early childhood HOME inventory. Dyads were audiotaped at home during the picture storybook narrative task to assess the father and mothers’ use of mental state talk. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that age of the preschooler, maternal, paternal mental state talk, and their quality of parenting predicts preschooler EF, when accounting for preschooler gender and maternal, paternal education. The research highlighted the importance of parental verbal input and parenting behaviour as contributory indices in the development of EF of the child.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental state talk
• executive function
• parent–child relationship
• cognitive assessment

Acknowledgements

We would like to show our gratitude to the school’s administrations, children, and their parents involved in the research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hafsa Khalil Toor

Hafsa Khalil Toor is a doctoral student at the National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Her research interest focuses on children’s cognitive development in the early years, specifically how father, mother, and teacher contribute to the executive function of the children.

Rubina Hanif

Rubina Hanif is a professor of Psychology at the National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Her research interest is in Psychometric Assessment, Educational, Occupational Health, Social and Positive Psychology.