Dissecting parent autonomy support: The role of choice in preschoolers' executive function skills

Abstract

Children’s executive function (EF) skills have been linked to a host of positive outcomes including academic achievement, social competence, and overall well-being. Research has shown that parents’ support of children’s autonomy is beneficial to the development of these skills, particularly in early childhood. However, measurement of autonomy support has been limited to brief observations of parent-child interactions in the laboratory. Additionally, although a recent theory highlighted the importance of choice in the development of children’s EF skills, there is still limited empirical evidence to test these ideas. Study 1 focused on developing and piloting a novel self-report measure of parent autonomy support. The scale was refined using feedback from cognitive interviews and a preliminary item analysis. Study 2 assessed 127 parents and their 2- to 5-year-old children to examine the psychometric properties of the new scale, describe children’s preference for choice using novel behavioral tasks, and investigate the links between parent autonomy support, children’s choice preference behavior, and EF skills. Results indicated a one-factor solution for the new scale after conducting an item analysis. There was limited evidence for the scale’s convergent and predictive validity. Findings from Study 2 also showed developmental and individual differences in children’s preference for choice. Finally, there was some evidence to positively link parent autonomy support, children’s preference for choice, and EF skills. However, some of these associations did not hold after accounting for child age. Overall, the present dissertation extends our understanding of the associations between autonomy-supportive parenting and child EF skills by highlighting the role of choice.