Adult-Child Relationships in Preschool: Perceptions, Contributors to Change, and Associated Child Outcomes

Abstract

This dissertation extended the literature base on adult-child relationships during early childhood and within the preschool context. Study 1 examined how children's negative emotionality moderated the links between both maternal and teacher sensitivity and children's kindergarten behavior problems. Study 1 results indicated that children's relationships with adults across multiple contexts of early childhood development interacted to predict children's internalizing and externalizing behavior. Adult sensitivity was differentially linked to outcomes for children high in early negative emotionality compared to children low in negative emotionality. Study 2 examined change in teachers' perceptions of the teacher-child relationship during one year of preschool. Results indicated that both a child's classroom engagement and a teacher's characteristics were associated with changes in the teacher's perception of his/her relationship with that child. Study 3 extended the limited research on preschool children's perceptions of the teacher-child relationship by examining the reliability and validity of children's relationship perceptions on two measures-a structured interview and a representational drawing. Study 3 findings indicated that in our sample of children as young as three years old with behavior problems, the measure structures were consistent with prior uses with slightly older children. Further, children's relationship perceptions were associated in expected directions with child characteristics, teacher's emotional support and children's classroom interactions. Taken together, these three studies contribute to our understanding of how and under what circumstances adultchild relationships are linked to children's outcomes, contributors to perceptions of teacherchild relationships, and how the teacher-child relationship can be measured. I also dedicate this work to my husband, Jason Mandell, whose support and encouragement made this work possible, and to my siblings, Katy and Matt Hartz, for their encouragement throughout this process. ! v! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSFirst, I would like to thank my dissertation chair and advisor, Amanda Williford, for the training, guidance, and support she has provided over the past four years. I am incredibly grateful for her feedback on countless paper drafts, her generosity with her time, and the encouragement she has provided, which have made this work possible.I would like to thank my program advisor, Peter Sheras, for his support, advice, and contributions to this work throughout my graduate school training.I am grateful to my dissertation committee members, Jason Downer and Sara RimmKaufman for their interest in this work and their insightful contributions.I am grateful for the training, support, and feedback on this work provided by the team at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning. I am grateful for the many wonderful people I have had the opportunity to work with here and for the valuable training opportunities.I would like to thank Helma Koomen for her...