Parenting behaviors associated with the maintenance of preschoolers' interests: A prospective longitudinal study Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • This study examined whether specific parental beliefs and behaviors were related to the maintenance of preschoolers' early interests in conceptual domains. Assessments of home environments and interest support between ages 4 and 5 years were used to predict different types of child interest profiles over an ensuing 24-month period. Subtle differences in home environments and parental attitudes were noticeable at interest inception between a subgroup of children who sustained long-term individual interests and a subgroup that did not. In particular, parents of children with long-term individual interests tended to place a heavier emphasis on academic stimulation, the role of curiosity in learning, and provided more interest-related materials in the home than parents of children with shorter-term interests. Implications for ontogenetic models of interest development are discussed. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

published proceedings

  • Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

altmetric score

  • 8.12

author list (cited authors)

  • Leibham, M. E., Alexander, J. M., Johnson, K. E., Neitzel, C. L., & Reis-Henrie, F. P.

citation count

  • 31

complete list of authors

  • Leibham, Mary E||Alexander, Joyce M||Johnson, Kathy E||Neitzel, Carin L||Reis-Henrie, Fabiola P

publication date

  • January 2005