Attachment and Effortful Control in Toddlerhood Predict Academic Achievement Over a Decade Later

Lilian Dindo; Rebecca L Brock; Nazan Aksan; Wakiza Gamez; Grazyna Kochanska; Lee Anna Clark

doi:10.1177/0956797617721271

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Attachment and Effortful Control in Toddlerhood Predict Academic Achievement Over a Decade Later

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Attachment and Effortful Control in Toddlerhood Predict Academic Achievement Over a Decade Later

Lilian Dindo, Rebecca L Brock, Nazan Aksan, Wakiza Gamez, Grazyna Kochanska and Lee Anna Clark

Psychological science, Vol.28(12), pp.1786-1795

12/2017

DOI: 10.1177/0956797617721271

PMCID: PMC6052977

PMID: 29023183

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Abstract

A child's attachment to his or her caregiver is central to the child's development. However, current understanding of subtle, indirect, and complex long-term influences of attachment on various areas of functioning remains incomplete. Research has shown that (a) parent-child attachment influences the development of effortful control and that (b) effortful control influences academic success. The entire developmental cascade among these three constructs over many years, however, has rarely been examined. This article reports a multimethod, decade-long study that examined the influence of mother-child attachment and effortful control in toddlerhood on school achievement in early adolescence. Both attachment security and effortful control uniquely predicted academic achievement a decade later. Effortful control mediated the association between early attachment and school achievement during adolescence. This work suggests that attachment security triggers an adaptive cascade by promoting effortful control, a vital set of skills necessary for future academic success.

Academic Success

Object Attachment

Humans

Adolescent

Child, Preschool

Female

Male

Child Behavior - psychology

Self-Control

Child

Longitudinal Studies

Mother-Child Relations

Details

Title: Subtitle: Attachment and Effortful Control in Toddlerhood Predict Academic Achievement Over a Decade Later
Creators: Lilian Dindo - 2 Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas
Rebecca L Brock - 3 Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nazan Aksan - 4 Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa
Wakiza Gamez - 5 Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa
Grazyna Kochanska - 5 Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa
Lee Anna Clark - 6 Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Psychological science, Vol.28(12), pp.1786-1795
DOI: 10.1177/0956797617721271
PMID: 29023183
PMCID: PMC6052977
NLM abbreviation: Psychol Sci
ISSN: 0956-7976
eISSN: 1467-9280
Publisher: United States
Grant note: K02 MH001446 / NIMH NIH HHS R01 HD069171 / NICHD NIH HHS R01 MH063096 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 12/2017
Academic Unit: Neurology; Psychiatry; Psychological and Brain Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984002314602771

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