Trajectories of social withdrawal from grades 1 to 6: Prediction from early parenting, attachment, and temperament.

Abstract

From 1092 children in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we identified three trajectory patterns of social withdrawal from teacher reports in Grades 1-6: A Normative consistently low group (86%); a Decreasing group (5%) with initially high withdrawal that decreased; and an Increasing group (9%) with initially low withdrawal that increased. Prediction models supported the role of early dysregulated temperament, insensitive parenting, and attachment. Preschool shy temperament was a specific pathway to decreasing withdrawal, and poor inhibitory control, to increasing withdrawal. Children on the increasing pathway were more lonely, solitary, and excluded by peers. Results suggest differentiated pathways to varying trajectories of social withdrawal and highlight the importance of identification of longitudinal patterns in relation to risk.

Student–teacher relationships matter: Moderating influences between temperament and preschool social competence

“…Child temperament is a within-child trait that may place children at risk for undesirable outcomes (Coplan et al, 1999;LaForce & Oxford, 2008). Given the potential for children with difficult temperaments to experience schoolrelated difficulties, a positive student-teacher relationship may mitigate the association between temperament and social outcomes.…”

“…The rationale for assessing temperament is based on its association with a variety of schoolrelated competencies, including school adjustment, classroom behaviors, and social withdrawal (Coplan et al, 1999;LaForce & Oxford, 2008;Martin, 1989). For example, children who exhibit longer attention spans, lower activity levels, and less negative emotionality tend to demonstrate stronger school readiness skills during preschool (Coplan et al).…”

Relationship Between the Temperament Trait of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Emotional Reactivity

“…The PBI, besides being the standard questionnaire used in retrospective studies of parenting, is an ideal self-report measure of such behavioral interactions because it assesses the same parental behaviors that are assessed by observations of parents with their behaviorally inhibited children (Booth-LaForce & Oxford, 2008;Fox et al, 2005a;Fox et al, 2005b;Ghera et al, 2006;Henderson & Wachs, 2007) .…”

Decoding Nonverbal Ability: A Theoretical Model for the Acquisition of Nonverbal Decoding Skill

“…The effects of early caregiving can be altered by a shift in parenting practices during preschool years, causing a corresponding change in the child's social behavior (Booth-LaForce & Oxford, 2008). Some studies suggest that forcing children to engage in activities they may not like can force them to learn coping skills and therefore lower their inhibition levels in later years (Park, Belsky, Putnam, & Crnic, 1997).…”