Executive function and mothering: Challenges faced by teenage mothers

Abstract

Previous research has established that in comparison to adult mothers teen mothers respond less sensitively to their infants. In adults, components of executive functions relate directly to maternal sensitivity. Since teenagers are known to have a less developed prefrontal cortex and greater difficulties in parenting, this study sought to determine whether the association between executive processes and mothering exists among teenagers. Two groups of mothers, teens (n = 30) and adults (n = 27), who were approximately 4-6 months postpartum, completed tasks assessing spatial working memory and attentional set shifting (cognitive flexibility) using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Mothers were videotaped interacting with their infants and were later coded for various maternal behaviors. As predicted, teenagers performed more poorly than adults on tasks of cognitive flexibility and were less sensitive in their infant interactions. Among both groups there was a negative association between executive function and mothering; however, depending on the age of the mother different executive function tasks were relevant.

Intergenerational transmission of self-regulation: A multidisciplinary review and integrative conceptual framework.

“…In the first study to consider parent executive functioning, Deater-Deckard and colleagues (Deater-Deckard, Sewell, Petrill, & Thompson, 2010) reported that mothers with lower working memory reacted more negatively to challenging child behavior than mothers with better working memory. Subsequent work has shown that mothers with poor executive functioning are more likely to harshly respond to child conduct problems (Deater-Deckard, Wang, Chen, & Bell, 2012), and mothers with poor spatial working memory have been found to be less sensitive while interacting with their infants (Gonzalez, Jenkins, Steiner, & Fleming, 2012; also see Chico, Gonzalez, Ali, Steiner, & Fleming, 2014). Although these studies were cross-sectional, Cuevas and colleagues (2014a,b) reported longitudinal relations between better maternal executive functioning and fewer negative caregiving behaviors, with such caregiving also showing relations with children’s executive functioning at 36 and 48 months, but not at 24 months.…”

Maternal emotion and cognitive control capacities and parenting: A conceptual framework

“…Several studies explored aspects of maternal emotion and cognitive control and a range of positive parenting measures. Across the life course of childhood, higher maternal emotion control and cognitive control is associated with supportive responses to child's negative emotion (Hughes & Gullone, 2010; Valiente et al, 2007), increased maternal sensitivity and warmth (Chico, Gonzalez, Ali, Steiner, & Fleming, 2014; Gonzalez, Jenkins, Steiner, & Fleming, 2012), more affectional expression (Wietecha et al, 2012), more time spent on caregiving activities (Bridgett et al, 2011) and a higher sense of parenting confidence (Wietecha et al, 2012). On the other hand, lower maternal emotion and cognitive control is associated with less monitoring (Babinski et al, 2012; Murray & Johnston, 2006), less maternal involvement (Boutwell & Beaver, 2010; Chen & Johnston, 2007; Chronis-Tuscano, Raggi, et al, 2008; Mokrova et al, 2010), less parental satisfaction (Watkins & Mash, 2009), and less generally positive parenting (Chronis-Tuscano, Raggi, et al, 2008; Psychogiou, Daley, Thompson, & Sonuga-Barke, 2007).…”

“…But when stress does arise, it has been shown to increase distractibility and reduce working memory and attention control (Luethi et al, 2009; Lupien et al, 2009). Adolescents’ prefrontal cortex functions may be especially sensitive to the effects of stress (Lupien et al, 2009), putting adolescent parents at particular risk for impaired cognitive and emotional control functioning in high-stress situations (see Chico et al, 2014). …”

Common and divergent psychobiological mechanisms underlying maternal behaviors in non-human and human mammals

“…This is particularly the case with teenage mothers, who tend to respond less sensitively to their infants. Teenagers in general, but teenage mothers especially, tend also to show much poorer attention, executive function, and impulse control (Chico, Gonzalez, Ali, Steiner, & Fleming, 2014; Geier, Terwilliger, Teslovich, Velanova, & Luna, 2010; McAnarney, 2008; Rubia, Hyde, Halari, Giampietro, & Smith, 2010; Sturman & Moghaddam, 2011; Van Leijenhorst et al, 2010). …”