Identifier

etd-10172008-144608

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Human Ecology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The study examined the possibility of relationships between caregiver sensitivity across multiple caregivers during the child’s first three years of life and both children’s later perceived peer acceptance and children’s later perceived maternal acceptance. Data were collected from 26 children, aged between 5 and 8-years old, and the 32 unique caregivers that the children had experienced during their first 36 months in child care. Assessments were made using the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PSPC, Harter & Pike, 1984) and the Caregiver Interaction Scale (CIS, Arnett, 1989). Correlations were calculated among the 7 primary variables for the children: number of unique caregivers, number of snapshots (i.e., points of time at which caregiver data was collected), age in months at testing, peer acceptance, maternal acceptance, average level of caregiver sensitivity, and rate of change of caregiver sensitivity. Significant positive correlations were found between perceived peer acceptance and perceived maternal acceptance. No statistically significant relationships were found among the remaining variables; that is, the measures of cumulative caregiver sensitivity did not predict the children’s later perceptions of peer acceptance or of maternal acceptance. Possible explanations for the absence of statistically significant relationships are discussed.

Date

2008

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Pierce, Sarah

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1277

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