Parenting Practices and Children's Cognitive Effort: A Laboratory Study
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| Title: | Parenting Practices and Children's Cognitive Effort: A Laboratory Study |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | William Foley (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Early Adolescence. 2025 45(4):481-507. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 27 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education Grade 5 Intermediate Grades Middle Schools |
| Descriptors: | Parenting Styles, Parent Child Relationship, Children, Cognitive Ability, Parent Influence, Grade 5, Elementary School Students, Executive Function, Incentives, Foreign Countries, Decision Making, Performance, Activities, Motivation, Intention, Parent Role, Discipline, Social Support Groups |
| Geographic Terms: | Spain (Madrid), Germany (Berlin) |
| DOI: | 10.1177/02724316241250062 |
| ISSN: | 0272-4316 1552-5449 |
| Abstract: | We examine the association between parenting practices (discipline and support) and children's cognitive effort. Cognitive effort is hard to measure; hence, little is known about effort dispositions, and how parenting practices affect effort. We analyse data from 1,148 fifth-grade students from Berlin and Madrid (around 11 years of age). Cognitive effort is measured with tests of executive function, carried out under two reward schemes: an unincentivised and incentivised condition. We study two effort-related outcomes: "effort direction" -- the child's decision to voluntarily do a real-effort task -- and "effort intensity" -- the child's performance on the task. In line with theoretical expectations, results indicate that both parental discipline and support are associated with effort direction when the moderating role of incentives is taken into account. However, only parental discipline is (weakly) associated with effort intensity. We conclude that parenting practices primarily influence deliberative rather than instinctual types of cognitive effort. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1467648 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | We examine the association between parenting practices (discipline and support) and children's cognitive effort. Cognitive effort is hard to measure; hence, little is known about effort dispositions, and how parenting practices affect effort. We analyse data from 1,148 fifth-grade students from Berlin and Madrid (around 11 years of age). Cognitive effort is measured with tests of executive function, carried out under two reward schemes: an unincentivised and incentivised condition. We study two effort-related outcomes: "effort direction" -- the child's decision to voluntarily do a real-effort task -- and "effort intensity" -- the child's performance on the task. In line with theoretical expectations, results indicate that both parental discipline and support are associated with effort direction when the moderating role of incentives is taken into account. However, only parental discipline is (weakly) associated with effort intensity. We conclude that parenting practices primarily influence deliberative rather than instinctual types of cognitive effort. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0272-4316 1552-5449 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/02724316241250062 |
