Browsing by Author "Baptista, Joana"
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- Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire (CHQ) applied to Portuguese mothers of preschool-aged children : a psychometric studyPublication . Toscano, Carolina; Baptista, Joana; Mesquita, Ana; George, Carol; Soares, IsabelAbstract: The child’s attachment system is complemented by a separate and reciprocal caregiving system in the parent, which guides parents’ protective responses to the child. Disruptions in the caregiving system may lead to disorganized caregiving; however, the study and knowledge of disorganized caregiving is still very incomplete and has been limited to labor-intensive and costly interviews. This study aimed to examine the psychometric qualities of the Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire (CHQ), a screening tool for disorganized caregiving, on a sample of 200 Portuguese mothers of preschool-aged children. Confirmatory factor analysis did not confirm the structure of the original CHQ version. A five-factor solution was found as a better solution, producing five scales that correspond conceptually to major dimensions of relationship disorganization at preschool-age: Mother Helpless, Mother Frightened, Child Frightened, Child Cheers Mothers, and Child Caregiving. Reliability analysis had satisfactory results and convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed. Concurrent validity was also established by finding significant associations between the CHQ scales with variables of maternal and child domains that have been conceptually and empirically associated with disorganization. In conclusion, results supported the validity of the CHQ for Portuguese mothers of preschoolers, as a promising screening tool for disorganized caregiving.
- Developmental predictors of mathematics achievement at the end of Year 1Publication . Martins, Sara; Araújo, Carolina A.; Fonseca, Marisa; Baptista, Joana; Martins, CarlaAbstract: This study examined the predictive role of child cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioural dimensions assessed at the age of 4½, as well as of the traditional variables related to academic school readiness before the entry to primary school, on mathematics achievement at the end of Year 1. A sample of 58 Portuguese children and their parents participated in this longitudinal study. Initial correlations indicated significant associations between child intelligence quotient (IQ), inhibitory control, set-shifting, dysregulation profile, academic school readiness, and their subsequent performance in mathematics. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that inhibitory control at 4½ years significantly predicted mathematics achievement at the end of Year 1 over and above the effect of academic school readiness before entering primary school. These results add to the existing literature by highlighting the impact of child executive functioning assessed during the preschool years on subsequent mathematics performance in early school years.
- Does social–behavioral adjustment mediate the relation between executive function and academic readiness?Publication . Baptista, Joana; Osório, Ana; Martins, Eva Costa; Veríssimo, Manuela; Martins, CarlaResearch shows that executive function and social–behavioral adjustment during the preschool years are both associated with the successful acquisition of academic readiness abilities. However, studies bringing these constructs together in one investigation are lacking. This study addresses this gap by testing the extent to which social and behavioral adjustment mediated the association between executive function and academic readiness. Sixty-nine 63–76month old children, enrolled in the last semester of the preschool year, participated in the present study. Tasks were administered to measure executive function and preacademic abilities, and teachers rated preschoolers' social–behavioral adjustment. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that social–behavioral adaptation was a significant mediator of the effect of executive function on academic readiness, even after controlling for maternal education and child verbal ability. These findings extend prior research and suggest that executive function contributes to early academic achievement by influencing preschoolers' opportunities to be engaged in optimal social learning activities.