The Relationships Between Sex, Poverty, and Maternal Education to Cognitive Development

The current study examined whether sex, poverty and maternal education are associated with infants' and toddlers' cognitive outcomes. Researchers generally agree on the negative effect of poverty on cognitive development; moreover, maternal education is one of the factors that influences poverty. Previous studies on sex-related differences and cognitive development show some differences exist, while others show similarities among the sexes. Secondary data from the Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) assessment tool were used to analyze 5- to 36-month-old children's scores. The scores were analyzed for 113 children, 58 boys and 55 girls at two time points (February and May, 2014). Results showed no significant correlations between each of the independent variables and the cognitive objectives. When change across time was tested using MANCOVA, girls of non-academic mothers seemed to increase their scores much more than boys in the cognitive objective Uses Symbols and Images to Represent Something not Present. Sex and poverty were found to be associated with two cognitive objectives: Demonstrates Positive Approaches to Learning- boys who live under poverty gained much more than boys who do not live under poverty. For the objective, Uses Symbols and Images to Represent Something not Present, girls who live above poverty and boys who live under poverty gained much more than boys who live above poverty. Thus, the current study showed that sex becomes important in predicting outcomes when viewed alongside life experiences.

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Degree

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Orenstein, Oshrat

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Burnham, Melissa M.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Jeon, Hyun-Joo
• Bingham, Ann

• Cognitive Development
• Infancy
• maternal Education
• Poverty
• Sex Differences
• Teaching Strategies Gold

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11714/2980

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/2980