Mediating Role of Child’s Executive Function Deficits in the Association of Parenting and School Success

Abstract

This study aims to explore the role of a child’s executive function deficits in the association of positive and negative parenting styles and practices with school success at early school age. A sample consisted of 174 parents who completed the Parenting Style Questionnaire, the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire, and the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed complete mediation of authoritarian parenting style, parental hostility/aggression and indifference/neglect on child’s low literacy and mathematics achievement by child’s executive function deficits. In contrast, the mediating role of child’s executive function deficits in the relationship between authoritative parenting style and parental warmth/affection and school success was not confirmed. The results of the study indicate that executive function deficits act as a risk factor in literacy and mathematics achievement of early school-age children whose parents express high levels of negative parenting style and practices. The study suggests that appropriate interventions would have to be focused on parent training and programmes for improving child’s executive functions.