Nature of relations between the physical and social microenvironment of the two‐year‐old child

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that high levels of noise, crowding or person traffic pattern in infants' homes are associated with less involved and less responsive caregiving by parents. Based on these previous findings two questions were investigated in the present research. First, does the same pattern of relations appear with older toddlers; second, are these patterns unique to the specific dimensions of noise, crowding and traffic pattern? Subjects were 56 2-year-old toddlers. Based upon repeated home observations the physical and social environments of the toddlers' homes were assessed using codes from the &due Home Stimulation inventory. Analysis of the interrelation between the physical and social microenvironments of these toddlers was based upon canonical correlation. Congruent with previous research, interpretation of the canonical structure revealed that high levels of noise, crowding or traffic pattern in the home were associated with lower caregiver attentiveness and responsivity. Results also indicated that this pattern was unique to the specific physical environment dimensions of noise, crowding and traffic pattern. Implications of these results for alternate care settings are discussed.

Home Chaos: Sociodemographic, Parenting, Interactional, and Child Correlates

“…We predicted that elevated levels of home chaos would be associated with elevated levels of harsh or inconsistent discipline and reduced levels of positive and supportive parenting and that these associations would remain significant when controlling for sociodemographic variables and parenting stress. This hypothesis reflects findings showing that dysfunctional discipline is common in chaotic homes (e.g., Patterson, Reid, &, Dishion, 1992;Wahler & Dumas, 1989), as is reduced nurturance (e.g., Wachs, 1993).…”

“…homes that are characterized by high levels of noise and crowding (e.g., homes in neighborhoods with negative attributes such as the presence of a busy airport nearby; Evans, Hygge, & Bullinger, 1995;Evans et al, 1998;Wachs, 1993). However, there is only limited evidence that home chaos is a distinct construct, rather than a mere proxy for adverse social or psychological circumstances such as socioeconomic disadvantage, parenting stress, or adverse neighborhood characteristics.…”

The Relationship Among Caregiver Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Behavior, and Family-Centered Care

“…Environmental structure, including routines, has been associated with the development of self-regulatory functioning, more positive developmental outcomes, and school readiness (Bradley, 2002;Dilworth-Bart, Khurshid, & Vandell, 2007;Matheny, Wachs, Ludwig, & Phillips, 1995;Visser et al, 2014;Wachs, 1993). Depression is a known risk factor for adverse child outcomes (Chronis et al, 2007), but it is not known if depression might interfere with a mother's ability to provide daily routines.…”

Bundling the haystack to find the needle: Challenges and opportunities in modeling risk and resilience following early life stress

“…Early life neurodevelopment of humans and animals hinges upon caretaking with temporal regularity and environmental consistency (12,142). Parental care is a major source of such reliability, yet environmental factors including lighting, temperature, caging, noise, crowding, and surrounding activity can all impact development both directly and indirectly through their effects on caretakers.…”