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Does Parental Presence Influence Child Performance on an Emotional Go/No-Go Task at Age 9.5? Exploring the Role of Puberty and Early Environmental Quality

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Title: Does Parental Presence Influence Child Performance on an Emotional Go/No-Go Task at Age 9.5? Exploring the Role of Puberty and Early Environmental Quality
Language: English
Authors: Saara Nolvi (ORCID 0000-0003-4959-1473), Laura Perasto, Pauliina Juntunen (ORCID 0000-0002-9052-7775), Tuomo-Artturi Autere, Venla Huovinen, Aino Luotola (ORCID 0009-0007-0366-9665), Hilyatushalihah Kholis Audah (ORCID 0009-0003-5437-5561), Max Karukivi, Anna-Katariina Aatsinki, Hasse Karlsson, Linnea Karlsson, Minna Lukkarinen (ORCID 0000-0001-6826-5505), Nim Tottenham, Riikka Korja
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Children, Parent Influence, Environmental Influences, Puberty, Emotional Response, Emotional Intelligence, Child Behavior, Mental Health, Proximity, Self Management, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Finland
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70206
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: Previous research suggests that children may perform better and regulate emotions more effectively in the presence of a parent than an unfamiliar stranger, a phenomenon known as parental buffering. This reliance may vary with pubertal development and early psychosocial environments. However, existing studies often rely on small, mixed-age samples and provide limited insight into how normative variation in caregiving quality and parental mental health influences children's transition from parental dependence to independent regulation before puberty. In this pre-registered study, we examined children's performance on an emotional go/no-go task under parent-present versus stranger-present conditions in a large sample of 9.5-year-old children (N = 501) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. In smaller subsamples, we tested whether pubertal stage affected parental effects on performance and whether early maternal caregiving quality and long-term parental distress moderated these effects. We did not find consistent evidence for parental buffering of 9.5-year-olds' performance in either pre-pubertal or pubertal children. However, sensitivity analyses including all trials, with effect sizes resembling those of the main models, suggested that children made fewer errors when a parent (vs. a stranger) was present, consistent with our pre-registered hypotheses. Evidence for moderation by early caregiving quality or parental mental health was minimal. These findings highlight the need for longitudinal, age-specific research on children's reliance on parental presence for emotion regulation and suggest that typical variation in caregiving quality and parental mental health may not substantially influence parental buffering effects in middle childhood.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504576
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Does Parental Presence Influence Child Performance on an Emotional Go/No-Go Task at Age 9.5? Exploring the Role of Puberty and Early Environmental Quality
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Saara+Nolvi%22">Saara Nolvi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4959-1473">0000-0003-4959-1473</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+Perasto%22">Laura Perasto</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pauliina+Juntunen%22">Pauliina Juntunen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9052-7775">0000-0002-9052-7775</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tuomo-Artturi+Autere%22">Tuomo-Artturi Autere</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Venla+Huovinen%22">Venla Huovinen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aino+Luotola%22">Aino Luotola</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0366-9665">0009-0007-0366-9665</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hilyatushalihah+Kholis+Audah%22">Hilyatushalihah Kholis Audah</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5437-5561">0009-0003-5437-5561</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Max+Karukivi%22">Max Karukivi</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anna-Katariina+Aatsinki%22">Anna-Katariina Aatsinki</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hasse+Karlsson%22">Hasse Karlsson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Linnea+Karlsson%22">Linnea Karlsson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Minna+Lukkarinen%22">Minna Lukkarinen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6826-5505">0000-0001-6826-5505</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nim+Tottenham%22">Nim Tottenham</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Riikka+Korja%22">Riikka Korja</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(3).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 12
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Influence%22">Parent Influence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Influences%22">Environmental Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Puberty%22">Puberty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Response%22">Emotional Response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Intelligence%22">Emotional Intelligence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior%22">Child Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Proximity%22">Proximity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Management%22">Self Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/desc.70206
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  Data: 1363-755X<br />1467-7687
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  Data: Previous research suggests that children may perform better and regulate emotions more effectively in the presence of a parent than an unfamiliar stranger, a phenomenon known as parental buffering. This reliance may vary with pubertal development and early psychosocial environments. However, existing studies often rely on small, mixed-age samples and provide limited insight into how normative variation in caregiving quality and parental mental health influences children's transition from parental dependence to independent regulation before puberty. In this pre-registered study, we examined children's performance on an emotional go/no-go task under parent-present versus stranger-present conditions in a large sample of 9.5-year-old children (N = 501) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. In smaller subsamples, we tested whether pubertal stage affected parental effects on performance and whether early maternal caregiving quality and long-term parental distress moderated these effects. We did not find consistent evidence for parental buffering of 9.5-year-olds' performance in either pre-pubertal or pubertal children. However, sensitivity analyses including all trials, with effect sizes resembling those of the main models, suggested that children made fewer errors when a parent (vs. a stranger) was present, consistent with our pre-registered hypotheses. Evidence for moderation by early caregiving quality or parental mental health was minimal. These findings highlight the need for longitudinal, age-specific research on children's reliance on parental presence for emotion regulation and suggest that typical variation in caregiving quality and parental mental health may not substantially influence parental buffering effects in middle childhood.
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  Data: 2026
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