Impact of maternal, paternal mental state talk and quality of parenting on executive function of preschoolers

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal, paternal mental state talk and the quality of parenting on preschoolers’ executive function (EF) skills. The sample included 120 dyads (father–child & mother–child). The preschooler aged 3.1–5.99 years (M age = 4.60, SD = .90) were approached at their schools to assess the EF using the EF touch battery. The quality of parenting was assessed using the early childhood HOME inventory. Dyads were audiotaped at home during the picture storybook narrative task to assess the father and mothers’ use of mental state talk. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that age of the preschooler, maternal, paternal mental state talk, and their quality of parenting predicts preschooler EF, when accounting for preschooler gender and maternal, paternal education. The research highlighted the importance of parental verbal input and parenting behaviour as contributory indices in the development of EF of the child.