Examining Observational Measures of Emotional Support and Cognitive Stimulation in Black and White Mothers of Preschoolers

Abstract

In this study we drew on the Infant Health and Development Program to examine two sets of observational measures of parenting behavior. First, correlations between the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Warmth subscale and a Supportive Presence scale, and between the HOME Learning subscale and a Quality of Assistance scale were examined. There were moderate correlations between the two emotional support scales and between the two cognitive stimulation scales. Second, the individual and collective predictive strengths of each parenting behavior measure were examined vis-à-vis two child outcomes: children's behavior problems and children's receptive language abilities. White and Black children were examined separately in all analyses. Analyses indicated some degree of association between the parenting behavior measures and the childhood outcomes. Some unanticipated racial differences in the regression models also emerged.