Culturally relevant stressors as moderators of intergenerational transmission of mother-adolescent executive function in Mexican immigrant families

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

Shanting Chen¹  Maria M. Arredondo¹  Wen Wen¹  Jinjin Yan¹  Jiaxiu Song¹  Su Yeong Kim¹  Minyu Zhang¹  Belem G. Lopez²  Ka I. Ip³ 

[1] Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 East Dean Keeton St., Stop A2702, 78712, Austin, TX, USA;Department of Mexican American and Latina/O Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA;Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA;

关键词: Executive functioning;    Intergenerational transmission;    Economic stress;    Foreigner stress;    Mexican immigrant family;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41235-021-00333-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

The intergenerational transmission of executive function may be enhanced or interrupted by culturally salient environmental stressors that shape the practice of executive function in the family. Building upon past research, the current study tests whether culturally relevant stressors such as economic stress and foreigner stress have a direct effect on adolescent executive function, as well as whether they modify the intergenerational transmission of mother–child executive function (i.e., working memory, inhibitory control, and shifting) in low-income Mexican immigrant families. The sample consists of 179 Mexican American adolescents (Mage = 17.03 years; SDage = 0.83; 58% females) and their Mexico-born mothers (Mage = 43.25 years; SDage = 5.90). Results show that mothers’ perceived economic stress is associated with poor inhibitory control in adolescents. Low levels of mothers’ perceived foreigner stress related to a stronger association between mothers’ and adolescents’ working memory, while high levels of mothers’ perceived foreigner stress related to enhanced intergenerational transmission of poor shifting ability. Study findings demonstrate the prominence of perceived foreigner stress as a contextually relevant factor moderating the intergenerational transmission of mother–child executive function in low-income Mexican immigrant families.

【 授权许可】

CC BY