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Abstract
This dissertation aimed to investigate whether family-level poverty shapes growth in self-regulation through parenting practices, and whether there is a bidirectional relation between self-regulation and parenting. This dissertation is a secondary data analysis of the data from the Dallas School Readiness Project. A sample of 359 low-income African American and Latino families were included in this dissertation. Data were collected when the child was aged 2 (Wave 1), 3 (Wave 2), 6 (Wave 3), and 7 (Wave 4) years. Child self-regulation was measured using the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task from Wave 2 to 4. Parenting practices were observed during semi-structured parent-child interactions. Family level poverty was indicated by the frequency of exposure to severe poverty and family income-to-needs ratio. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. In Study 1, a growth curve model and a mediation path model were tested to examine whether exposure to severe poverty shaped growth in childrens self-regulation through parenting practices. More frequent exposure to severe poverty across 4 waves was associated with slower growth in behavioral self-regulation between Wave 2 and Wave 4, and the effect was partially mediated through decreased sensitive and supportive parenting practices at Wave 1. In Study 2, a cross-lagged model was tested to examine whether parenting practices contributed to differences in child self-regulation and whether child self-regulation was associated with subsequent maternal behaviors. Maternal sensitive support at Wave 2 predicted higher levels of self-regulation at Wave 3, and maternal intrusive insensitivity at Wave 3 predicted worse self-regulation at Wave 4. Self-regulation at Wave 2 was prospectively associated with mothering practices.Taken together, findings suggest that different levels of family poverty contribute to compromised development of self-regulation through decreased positive parenting practices. Although I did not find the impact of child self-regulation on parenting practices, parenting practices influenced self-regulation across time, and the role of positive and negative parenting practices may change with child age. Theoretical and applied implications of this dissertation were discussed.