Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility?
Girls generally demonstrate superior skill levels in social competence compared to boys. The exact relations of parenting with these gender differences are currently unclear. Gender differences may occur due to exposure to different parenting strategies (differential socialization model) or due to a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02789/full |
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| author | Andrea M. Spruijt Andrea M. Spruijt Marielle C. Dekker Tim B. Ziermans Tim B. Ziermans Hanna Swaab Hanna Swaab |
| author_facet | Andrea M. Spruijt Andrea M. Spruijt Marielle C. Dekker Tim B. Ziermans Tim B. Ziermans Hanna Swaab Hanna Swaab |
| author_sort | Andrea M. Spruijt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Girls generally demonstrate superior skill levels in social competence compared to boys. The exact relations of parenting with these gender differences are currently unclear. Gender differences may occur due to exposure to different parenting strategies (differential socialization model) or due to a different impact of similar parenting strategies for boys and girls (differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress model).Objective: In this study we assessed both hypotheses using a multi-method multi-informant approach. We investigated (1) to what extent different parenting strategies mediate the relation between gender and social competence and (2) whether gender and age moderate the relation between parenting strategies and social competence.Design: Parenting strategies were observed during home visits and social competence was assessed using parent and teacher questionnaires and performance-based neurocognitive tasks (N = 98, aged 4 to 8).Results: (1) Parenting strategies did not mediate the relation between gender and social competence. (2) Gender moderated the association between parental questioning style and children’s level of social competence: parents asking fewer questions was associated with poorer social cognitive skills in boys only. Parental supportive presence and intrusiveness were related to aspects of social competence irrespective of gender. Age moderated the relation between parenting and aspects of social competence, though in various (unexpected) directions.Conclusion: Our findings do not support the differential socialization hypothesis and provide partial evidence for a diathesis-stress model as an explanation for parental influence on gender differences in social competence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T23:46:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fea9a8ba6b6a4fd89be0672e9bb2ec42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T23:46:48Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fea9a8ba6b6a4fd89be0672e9bb2ec422022-12-22T01:28:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-01-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.02789389548Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility?Andrea M. Spruijt0Andrea M. Spruijt1Marielle C. Dekker2Tim B. Ziermans3Tim B. Ziermans4Hanna Swaab5Hanna Swaab6Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsLeiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsGirls generally demonstrate superior skill levels in social competence compared to boys. The exact relations of parenting with these gender differences are currently unclear. Gender differences may occur due to exposure to different parenting strategies (differential socialization model) or due to a different impact of similar parenting strategies for boys and girls (differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress model).Objective: In this study we assessed both hypotheses using a multi-method multi-informant approach. We investigated (1) to what extent different parenting strategies mediate the relation between gender and social competence and (2) whether gender and age moderate the relation between parenting strategies and social competence.Design: Parenting strategies were observed during home visits and social competence was assessed using parent and teacher questionnaires and performance-based neurocognitive tasks (N = 98, aged 4 to 8).Results: (1) Parenting strategies did not mediate the relation between gender and social competence. (2) Gender moderated the association between parental questioning style and children’s level of social competence: parents asking fewer questions was associated with poorer social cognitive skills in boys only. Parental supportive presence and intrusiveness were related to aspects of social competence irrespective of gender. Age moderated the relation between parenting and aspects of social competence, though in various (unexpected) directions.Conclusion: Our findings do not support the differential socialization hypothesis and provide partial evidence for a diathesis-stress model as an explanation for parental influence on gender differences in social competence.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02789/fullsocial cognitionsocial skillsgender differencesparent–child interactionemotion recognition |
| spellingShingle | Andrea M. Spruijt Andrea M. Spruijt Marielle C. Dekker Tim B. Ziermans Tim B. Ziermans Hanna Swaab Hanna Swaab Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility? Frontiers in Psychology social cognition social skills gender differences parent–child interaction emotion recognition |
| title | Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility? |
| title_full | Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility? |
| title_fullStr | Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility? |
| title_short | Linking Parenting and Social Competence in School-Aged Boys and Girls: Differential Socialization, Diathesis-Stress, or Differential Susceptibility? |
| title_sort | linking parenting and social competence in school aged boys and girls differential socialization diathesis stress or differential susceptibility |
| topic | social cognition social skills gender differences parent–child interaction emotion recognition |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02789/full |
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