Elaboration and Autonomy Support in Low-Income Mothers' Reminiscing: Links to Children's Autobiographical Narratives

Abstract

Maternal elaboration and autonomy support during reminiscing facilitate middle-class children's autobiographical narrative skills. In this study, low-income Hispanic, White, and Black mothers' elaboration and autonomy support in reminiscing were examined in relation to children's joint and independent autobiographical narratives and engagement. Sixty preschool children discussed three past events with their mothers and one past event with a researcher. Maternal elaboration was related to children's joint and independent autobiographical narratives, and autonomy support was related to children's joint and independent engagement. Hispanic mothers used a less elaborative style during conversations about misbehavior, and Hispanic children tended to have less advanced independent autobiographical narratives. Maternal elaboration and autonomy support appear to play different roles in children's autobiographical narratives. Further, reminiscing may serve different purposes in different racial/ethnic groups.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by NICHD grant R01 HD044125-03. Portions of this paper were presented at the Jean Piaget Society Annual Meeting (June 2006), the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD) Biennial Conference (July 2006), and the Latin American Regional Congress of Cross-Cultural Psychology (July 2007).

We would like to thank all the members of the Preschool Language Project team, in particular Alison Sparks, Emily Baskin, Enila Cenko, Smita Srivastava, Lisa Comparini, Alana Roughan, and Helena McAnally. We also thank the Head Start Centers, the Head Start Administration in Worcester, MA and the parents and children who participated.

Notes

*p < .05, ⁺ p < .10.

^a F (2, 48), ^b F (2, 51), ^c F (2, 46), ^d F (2, 47), ^e F (2, 43), ^f F (2, 37), ^g F (2, 44).

*p < .05, **p < .01.

^a Partialled out maternal education, ^b partialled out child age, ^c partialled out maternal education and child age.

*p < .05, **p < .01, ⁺ p < .10.

*p < .05, **p < .01, ⁺ p < .10.

^a Partialled out maternal education, ^b partialled out child age.

*p < .05, **p < .01.

^a Partialled out maternal education, ^b partialled out child age, ^c partialled out PPVT, ^d partialled out maternal education and PPVT, ^e partialled out child age and PPVT.