The Relationship between Family Socioeconomic Status and Child Word Comprehension: Analysis of the Multiple Mediating Effects

Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2018, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6) : 1359-1365.

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PDF(803 KB)
Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2018, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6) : 1359-1365.

The Relationship between Family Socioeconomic Status and Child Word Comprehension: Analysis of the Multiple Mediating Effects

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Abstract

Abstract The language ability of preschool children is the basis for the development of their learning ability and can predict their academic achievement effectively in the future. Socioeconomic Status (SES), one of the family environment components that children are exposed to, is an important indicator for predicting differences in individual development. Based on the previous researches, SES had a significant influence on children's language development, especially in word comprehension. However, the mechanism that SES affects language development is not clear. Some researchers have pointed that cognitive stimulation provided by parents may be a significant mediator. With the advent of the digital age, cognitive stimulation related to children's learning in the family is changing. The home literacy environment(HLE)and electronic media exposure are important cognitive stimulation in the most families. Previous?researches?had?found that HLE and electronic media exposure can affect the development of children's language. It is worth exploring whether they work independently or in tandem. This study tried to explore the multiple mediating roles of HLE and electronic media exposure in SES and children’s word comprehension. In addition, maternal education level may have a more potent influence than income on children’s word comprehension. So the current study would further explore the mediating role of HLE and electronic media exposure between the maternal education level and the word comprehension. The participants in the current study were consisted of 278 children (girls = 141, boys= 130, missing value = 7) from four kindergartens in Beijing. The family information questionnaires were used to measure parents’ education level, income and the total time of children using electronic media. The Home Literacy Environment Questionnaire was used to measure the quality of home literacy environment. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test was used to assess children’s word comprehension score. The main results were as follows: (1) SES, HLE dimensions (except hle5) and word comprehension were positively correlated, and SES, HLE dimensions and word comprehension were negatively correlated with electronic screen time. (2) HLE could mediate the association between SES and child word comprehension, and SES had an indirect significant effect on word comprehension through the chain mediation of HLE and electronic screen time. In this composited model, χ2 = 55.00, df = 28, p < .01, CFI = .96, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .07, which indicated that the model is fitted well. (3) HLE also played a mediating role in association between maternal education level and children’s word comprehension, and maternal education level also had an indirect significant effect on word comprehension through the chain mediation of HLE and electronic screen time. In this composited model, χ2 = 51.13, df = 28, p < .01, CFI = .96, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .06, which indicated that the model is fitted well, too. The present study concluded that HLE and electronic screen time played multiple mediating effects in the associations between SES and children’s word comprehension, HLE could act as a mediator alone, or played a chain intermediary role with the electronic screen time.

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Key words Socioeconomic status, Home literacy environment, Electronic Media Exposure, Word comprehension

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The Relationship between Family Socioeconomic Status and Child Word Comprehension: Analysis of the Multiple Mediating Effects[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2018, 41(6): 1359-1365
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