The moderating role of SES on the relation between parenting-related factors and children’s working memory

Previous research argued that parenting-related factors have stronger influences on children’s cognitive development in lower SES than in more affluent families. Much of the evidence has come from western societies; with differences in economic development and cultural practices, it is not clear whether the same pattern of interaction could be expected in Asian societies. Indeed, parenting practices also vary amongst Asian societies. We examined the association between SES, parenting-related factors, and working memory (WM) among kindergarten-aged children in three Asian societies. We hypothesised that a) within each society, SES and more supportive parenting practices would be positively related to children’s WM; b) within each society, the association between parenting-related factors and WM would be stronger among lower SES families; c) across different societies, the association between parenting-related factors and WM would be stronger among less economically developed than better-developed societies. Parents of kindergarten aged children from Hong Kong (N = 258, Mage = 69.65), Bangkok (N = 190, Mage = 70.10), and Khon Kaen (N = 103, Mage = 76.01) completed a questionnaire on parenting stress, parenting behaviours, and household cognitive stimulation. They were also asked to provide information related to SES. Children were administered three WM tasks individually in their kindergartens. Regarding hypothesis 1, regression analysis revealed no SES differences in WM in Hong Kong. However, parents who used permissive parenting practices more frequently had children with lower WM (β = -.156, p = .046). In Bangkok, income (β = .208, p = .003) and cognitive stimulation (β = .311, p = .007) explained variance in WM. In Khon Kaen, children from families that received non-monetary public assistance (e.g., free school meals) had lower WM than those who did not receive public assistance (β = -.52, p = .001). Regarding hypothesis 2, the negative association between permissive parenting and WM did not differ across SES levels in Hong Kong. In Bangkok, the positive association between cognitive stimulation and WM was stronger among families with less prestigious occupations (β = -.303, p = .002, see Figure 1). When parents’ occupation status reached approximately 0.16 SD above the mean, the association with cognitive stimulation was non-significant. In Khon Kaen, although cognitive stimulation did not correlate with WM on a bivariate level, it was more strongly correlated with WM in families with higher income (β = .370, p = .001, see Figure 2) and also those with more prestigious occupations (β = .282, p = .011). When parents’ income was approximately 0.28 SD above the mean, cognitive stimulation was positively associated with WM. When parents’ income was approximately 1.12 SD below the mean, cognitive stimulation was negatively associated with WM. For hypothesis 3, although SES moderated the association between WM and cognitive stimulation in both Bangkok and Khon Kaen, the SES indicators involved in these interactions and the nature of the interactions differed. The urban-rural divide and differences in the main caregivers are potential explanations for these differences in findings. Copyright © 2024 All Academic, Inc.