SES Differences Research Articles

Early Family Formation, Selective Migration, and Childhood Conditions in Rural America☆

AbstractThirty years ago, rural Americans got married and had children at significantly younger ages than urban Americans. More recent data indicate that these differences persist today, but our understanding of what drives these differences remains limited. To address this gap, we (1) generate Kaplan–Meier estimates of the ages of the first marriage, first union, and first birth among those who lived in rural and urban areas in 2019, (2) evaluate the extent to which rural–urban differences in the timing of family formation reflect selective migration, (3) assess whether rural–urban differences in childhood SES and demographic characteristics further explain differences in timing, and (4) explore rural–urban differences by gender. We find substantial 4.3, 3.8, and 5.1‐year gaps in the ages at which rural and urban women marry, start unions, and become parents, respectively. These gaps largely do not reflect selective migration. Differences in women's age of first birth are attributable to differences in childhood conditions, yet differences in marital and union timing remain unexplained. Rural–urban gaps in the timing of family formation are much larger among women than among men. These patterns of early family formation in rural America have critical implications for families' and children's well‐being as well as rural depopulation.

The early bird gets the worm: age of entry to STEM-related academic education – gender and SES differences

ABSTRACT Background The transition to adulthood in contemporary industrialized society, which once followed a fairly standard pattern, has undergone many changes in terms of timing and order of events. Today’s emerging adults are as likely as not to postpone their entry to college after high school, withdraw temporarily from studies after enrolling, and switch study tracks as well as colleges or universities. While there may be a risk of inappropriate educational choice for those of younger age due to low career maturity, a substantial ‘price’ may also be paid for delayed entry in terms of several labor market indicators. Purpose The study examines gender and SES differences in the age of entering an academic education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field in Israel. Sample and methods This research was conducted through an online survey of a representative sample of 313 STEM students. Results The findings show the non-significant effect of SES on the age of entering academic education among young women. In contrast, young men with higher SES were likely to start STEM education earlier compared to their lower SES counterparts. Conclusions In the competitive STEM-oriented labor market with its pronounced preference for younger graduates from academic institutions, low SES men who postponed their entry to academic institutions may thus be ‘punished’ for their relatively older age. Therefore, the timing of entering academic education should not be overlooked in social stratification models and theories. Identifying ‘risk groups’ in relation to postponing vs speeding up factors may provide insights for STEM policy makers and practitioners.

International comparative study of motivation: a commentary

AbstractIn this commentary, I focus on an international, collaborative, longitudinal study of the development of elementary school students’ math motivation and performance across six countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, and Serbia. The investigators designed motivational questionnaires to assess student motivational beliefs defined quite broadly, teacher and student questionnaires to assess teacher beliefs and practices, and family questionnaires to assess parents’ beliefs and practices as well as perceptions of their children and then tested to reliability and validity of these measures across all six countries so that they could investigate both development within countries and generalizability across countries. I focus my comparative comments on the following themes that cut across the various studies: the gender, national and SES differences, the impact of teacher beliefs and practices, the impact of parents, and the testing hypotheses derived from various social cognitive motivational systems.

Systematic review of individual-level, community-level, and healthcare system-level factors contributing to socioeconomic differences in healthcare utilisation in OECD countries with universal health coverage

ObjectivesCountries with universal health coverage (UHC) strive for equal access for equal needs without users getting into financial distress. However, differences in healthcare utilisation (HCU) between socioeconomic groups have been...

DISPARITIES IN ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AMONG IMMIGRANTS IN TÜRKİYE

Türkiye is hosting 5.1 million foreign people with 3.8 million seeking international protection. The categorization of the legal status of the migrants as refugees, conditional refugees, and subsidiary protections has been made by the Law of Foreigners and International Protection, and defined as international protection status. According to the Turkish Presidency of Migration Management, most of the immigrants in Türkiye are Syrians who have been granted temporary protection status. In Türkiye, the rate of inequalities in access to health and healthcare is high and evident among immigrants who are already in a disadvantageous position. The aim of this study is, initially, to identify structural and political factors that lead to immigrants having different immigration statuses in accessing health services. Secondly, even if immigrants have access to health services according to their immigration status, the obstacles they face in accessing health services may occur due to SES differences. Therefore, the fundamental cause theory has been used to explain disparities in access to healthcare for the immigrants in Türkiye. In addition to potential policy changes regarding the regulation of the legal statuses, the importance of social determinants of health practices has been highlighted and further practices have been suggested in this regard.

Testicular Torsion: An Analysis of Rural Geography and Socioeconomic Status

ObjectivesTesticular torsion is a time-critical, organ-threatening diagnosis requiring prompt surgical intervention for successful salvage of the organ. In Australia, 28% of individuals live in rural and remote areas and face barriers to health care such as greater distance, lower socioeconomic status, (SES), and limited health infrastructure. We hypothesize that these barriers would delay intervention and access to surgical care, and lead to higher orchidectomy rates.ObjectivesA 12-year retrospective audit was conducted at a large rural referral center in Australia, focusing on patients undergoing scrotal exploration for testicular torsion. Primary outcomes were orchidectomy rate, time to operation, and ultrasound (US) and their relationship with patient distance, SES, age, and peripheral hospital attendance. Data on SES for geographic postcodes was obtained from the Australian Government Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas 2016. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, and a P value < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThe study involved 107 patients, of whom 46% had left-sided pathology. The median age of the patients was 14 years. Median SES was in the 37% to 41% centile range, median distance from travelled was 62 kilometers, and median time to operation from triage was 194 minutes. Of the patients, 34 attended a peripheral hospital. No significant risk factors for orchidectomy were identified. US was used in 65% of cases, with torsion detected in 50% of those cases, and orchidectomy performed in 11 patients. US had a sensitivity of 86.1% and specificity of 52.9%.ConclusionDespite significant differences in geographical distance, SES, age, and access to health care, patients in rural and remote areas of Australia experienced equivalent outcomes in testicular torsion management. Testicular torsion was safely managed at a central referral center using a peripheral hospital catchment in rural and remote areas of Australia, despite significant time delays due to greater distance or lower SES.

Commercial vs. Medicaid insurance and use of high-priced anticancer treatments.

6599 Background: Financial incentives presented by the larger markups on cancer drugs among commercial payors may result in increased use of high-priced drugs among commercially insured vs. Medicaid insured patients. We evaluated the association between patient insurance type and the likelihood of receiving higher-priced treatments. Methods: We linked cancer registry, administrative claims, and demographic data for individuals diagnosed with cancer in North Carolina from 2004-2011, who had either commercial or Medicaid insurance. We selected cancer types with multiple FDA-approved, guideline-recommended chemotherapy options, and large differences in price between the higher-priced and lower-priced options during the study period: advanced colorectal, lung, and head-and-neck cancer (HNC). The primary outcome was receipt of the higher-priced treatment option, and the primary exposure was insurance type: commercial vs. Medicaid. We estimated risk ratios (RR) for the association between insurance type and higher-priced treatment using log binomial models with inverse probability of exposure weights to control confounding by age, county-level poverty prevalence, and selected comorbidities. We assessed for potential modification of the RR by setting (hospital outpatient vs. physician office) and academic designation (NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center vs. other); these were exploratory analyses due to sparse data and subsequently limited confounding control. Results: Of 812 patients: 209 (26%) had Medicaid insurance; 311 (38%) had NHC, 263 (32%) colon or rectal cancer, and 238 (29%) lung cancer. The crude risk of higher-priced treatment was 36% (215/603) for commercially insured and 27% (57/209) for Medicaid insured (RR:1.31, 95%CI 1.02-1.67). After weighting the association was attenuated (RR:1.15, 95%CI 0.81-1.65). While limited by imprecision and the potential for uncontrolled confounding, exploratory subgroup analysis suggested that, compared to Medicaid insurance, commercial insurance was associated with numerically higher risk of higher-priced treatment among patients treated by non-NCI designated providers (RR:1.53, 95%CI 1.14-2.04), and within both the physician office (RR:1.36, 95%CI 0.95-1.95) and hospital outpatient (RR:1.08, 95%CI 0.58-2.02) settings, but lower risk of high-priced treatment within NCI cancer centers (RR:0.39, 95%CI 0.22-0.71). Conclusions: Individuals with Medicaid vs. commercial insurance access high-priced treatments at a similar proportion after accounting for differences in case mix, morbidity, and SES. However, modification of the association by and academic setting, observed in exploratory subgroup analysis, suggests the possibility that insurance type may affect treatment for some patient groups. This study was limited by focus on a single state and the potential for residual confounding.

Staying on track in higher secondary education in Flanders (Belgium). Mechanisms explaining social inequality in educational choice

ABSTRACT This article analyses the mechanisms that contribute to differences in educational choice in the transition from the second to the third stage of secondary education in Flanders, a highly tracked educational system. The study programme chosen in the eleventh grade, besides being quite predictable from the educational position in the tenth grade and school performance, is also affected by social class, ethnic background and gender. Using data gathered from pupils, their parents and their teachers, this study (N = 4389) tests a broad range of factors put forward by rational action theory, cultural reproduction theory and the Wisconsin status attainment model. As proposed by rational action theory, relative risk aversion affects educational choice. However, it does not explain the SES effect. Pupils’ academic self-esteem and their time perspective do have some potential to explain SES differentials in educational choice, as hypothesised by rational action theorists, and as can be expected from cultural explanations for educational inequality as well. In addition, expectations of significant others (parents, as well as teachers) are important predictors for subsequent educational choice and explain part of SES differences. Finally, classic cultural indicators of the parental home do not seem to affect educational choice beyond their effects on performance.

Investigating the mechanisms of G × SES interactions for education

There is a growing body of research exploring whether the opportunity to realize the genetic endowment for education varies by parental socio-economic status (G × SES). While the behavioral genetic Scarr-Rowe hypothesis (SRH) suggests stronger genetic effects for individuals with a high SES, the sociological compensatory advantage hypothesis (CAH) predicts weaker genetic effects. Using data from the German TwinLife survey, I estimate biometric twin models to test for a G × SES and whether it can be accounted for by SES differences in the effect of genes associated with cognitive ability. There is no G × SES for the secondary school track. For tertiary enrolment, however, there is a G × SES, in line with the CAH. While SES differences in the effect of genes associated with cognitive ability account for most of the G × SES, a small part is explained by SES differences in the effect of genes independent of cognitive ability.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic improvement, residential mobility and premature death: a population-based cohort study and inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis.

Causal inference using area-level socioeconomic measures is challenging due to risks of residual confounding and imprecise specification of the neighbourhood-level social exposure. By using multi-linked longitudinal data to address these common limitations, our study aimed to identify protective effects of neighbourhood socioeconomic improvement on premature mortality risk. We used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, linked to health administrative data, including longitudinal residential history. Individuals aged 25-69, living in low-socioeconomic status (SES) areas at survey date (n = 8335), were followed up for neighbourhood socioeconomic improvement within 5 years. We captured premature mortality (death before age 75) until 2016. We estimated protective effects of neighbourhood socioeconomic improvement exposures using Cox proportional hazards models. Stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) were used to account for confounding by baseline health, social and behavioural characteristics. Separate analyses were carried out for three exposure specifications: any improvement, improvement by residential mobility (i.e. movers) or improvement in place (non-movers). Overall, 36.9% of the study cohort experienced neighbourhood socioeconomic improvement either by residential mobility or improvement in place. There were noted differences in baseline health status, demographics and individual SES between exposure groups. IPTW survival models showed a modest protective effect on premature mortality risk of socioeconomic improvement overall (HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.63, 1.18). Effects were stronger for improvement in place (HR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.48, 0.93) than for improvement by residential mobility (HR = 1.07, 95% 0.67, 1.51). Our study provides robust evidence that specific neighbourhood socioeconomic improvement exposures are important for determining mortality risks.

A comparison of health and socioeconomic gradients in health between the United States and Canada

Data from the early 2000s indicated worse overall health and larger socioeconomic (SES) health inequalities in the U.S. than in Canada. Yet, sociopolitical contexts, health levels, and SES-health inequalities have changed in both countries during the intervening two decades. Drawing on new data, we update the comparison of health levels and SES-health gradients between the two countries.Analyses, focused on self-rated health, are based on two complementary sets of data sources: Resilience and Recovery (RR) data, a harmonized U.S.-Canada survey of social conditions collected in 2020 (N = 3743); and a pair of leading nationally representative health data sources from each country: the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS, N = 104,027) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, N = 97,605), both collected in 2017–2018. Health levels and disparities, net of demographic and socioeconomic covariates, were estimated using modified Poisson models for relative comparisons; descriptives and predicted levels of fair/poor health show the comparisons from absolute perspective.Both data sources show that U.S. adults continue to have significantly worse health than Canadians; the disadvantage may be due to SES differences between the two populations. However, the two data sources yield conflicting findings on SES-health inequalities: the RR data indicate no difference between the two countries in socioeconomic health gradients, while the NHIS/CCHS data show a significantly steeper gradient in the U.S. than in Canada for both education and income.Canadian adults continue to report better health than their U.S. peers, but it is unclear whether health inequalities remain smaller as well. We discuss potential reasons for the conflicting findings and call for a large new cross-national data collection, which will enable scholars and policymakers to better understand health and wellbeing in the U.S. and Canadian contexts.

Social Inequalities in Young People's Mental Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Do Psychosocial Resource Factors Matter?

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected young people aged 16–25 years and has brought about a major increase in mental health problems. Although there is persisting evidence regarding SES differences in mental health status, there is still little knowledge of the processes linking SES to young people's mental health, in particular during the current pandemic. Guided by a stress process model this study examines the role of different psychosocial resource factors in mitigating the vulnerability to mental distress among disadvantaged young people and specifies a range of possible mediating pathways. The research draws on a nationally representative longitudinal sample of 16–25 year-olds who participated in the Youth Economic Activity and Health (YEAH) online survey conducted in the UK between February and October 2021. Mental health was measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist for anxiety and depression. Socio-economic disadvantage was indicated by parental education and receipt of free school meals. Experience of stress was indicated by financial strain. Psychosocial resource factors included indicators of optimism, self-efficacy, and social support. We controlled for age, gender, living arrangements, and economic activity of the young person (being in education, employment or NEET). The findings suggest sequential mediating processes where SES influences are partially mediated via financial strain and the psychosocial resource factors. In addition, the psychosocial resource factors showed independent effects supporting mental health in the face of socio-economic adversity. Moreover, social support played a significant role in boosting self-efficacy and optimism, which in turn reduce mental distress. The findings highlighting the importance of specifying the assumed mediating processes, and to consider multiple resource factors instead of single aspects to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the processes linking SES to young people's mental health.

Effects of Socioeconomic Status and Gender on Valued Qualities and Future Success in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to examine stereotypes related to gender and socioeconomic status among college students in Korea (N= 488) where values, gender norms, and paths to success are rapidly changing. Each respondent read a vignette about a hypothetical student whose gender and socioeconomic status were manipulated, and was asked a series of question regarding the hypothetical student s personal qualities, hopes for going and living abroad, current achievement, and future educational and employment success. We found salient SES differences but very few gender differences. High-SES students who possessed qualities valued in Western countries (tolerance, self-expression, imagination) were more likely to be seen to succeed academically and employment-wise, have more experience and desire to study abroad, and ultimately have more agency in their daily lives. Traditionally positive qualities associated with East Asian countries (independence, hard work, thrift, determination/perseverance, feeling of responsibility) were attributed to low-SES students.

Is there an association between socioeconomic status and the degree of diurnal variation in heart rate?

BackgroundDisruption in circadian rhythms is associated with cardiovascular disease and may play a role in socioeconomic differences in cardiovascular disease prevalence. However, it is unclear whether low SES is associated with a lower diurnal rhythm in autonomic activity markers. We investigated the association between SES and the amplitude of the daily fluctuation of heart rate. MethodsWe included data of 450 participants of a HELIUS sub-study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Participants wore an Actiheart monitor (CamNtech), a chest-worn monitor which measures heart rate every 15 s for several days. Cosinor analysis was performed on the time series of heart rate within each participant. We analyzed the association between the cosinor parameters (amplitude, midline and peak time of the diurnal HR rhythm) and SES indicators (education, occupational class and a proxy of income) in multivariate linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex and ethnicity. ResultsThere was a clear diurnal rhythm in the average heart rates, with a peak between noon and 18:00 and a trough between 04:00 and 06:00. This rhythm was present for all categories of education, occupation and income proxy. The estimates for the cosinor parameters did not differ consistently and significantly between categories of education, occupation or income proxy. ConclusionsWe did not find any consistent evidence to support our hypothesis of a diminished amplitude in the diurnal variation of heart rate in individuals with lower SES. Future studies should explore SES differences in the diurnal variation in markers of autonomic activity other than heart rate.

Socio-economic status, gender and achievement: the mediating role of expectancy and subjective task value

Expectancy-Value Theory predicts that expectancy of success and subjective task value (STV) underlie differences in motivation and achievement. This study investigated how gender and SES related to achievement mediated by expectancy of success, STV, and their interaction. The sample consisted of 396 participants in their final year of upper secondary education. Self-report measures were completed of expectancy, STV, gender and socio-economic indicators. These were linked to exit examination grades (A Levels). Only parental education was directly related to achievement however gender and SES were indirectly linked to student grades through expectancy, STV, and the expectancy-STV interaction. Males, students with a higher level of parental education, and students from households with a higher number of possessions, all performed better in their examination due to higher expectations; higher STV amplified these relations. Gender and SES differences in achievement can be partly explained by psychological factors, namely students’ expectations of success and STV.

Spatial and mathematics skills: Similarities and differences related to age, SES, and gender

Performance on a range of spatial and mathematics tasks was measured in a sample of 1592 students in kindergarten, third grade, and sixth grade. In a previously published analysis of these data, performance was analyzed by grade only. In the present analyses, we examined whether the relations between spatial skill and mathematics skill differed across socio-economic levels, for boys versus girls, or both. Our first aim was to test for group differences in spatial skill and mathematics skill. We found that children from higher income families showed significantly better performance on both spatial and mathematics measures, and boys outperformed girls on spatial measures in all three grades, but only outperformed girls on mathematics measures in kindergarten. Further, comparisons using factor analysis indicated that the income-related gap in mathematics performance increased across the grade levels, while the income-related gap in spatial performance remained constant. Our second aim was to test whether spatial skill mediated any of these effects, and we found that it did, either partially or fully, in all four cases. Our third aim was to test whether the “separate but correlated” two-factor latent structure previously reported for spatial skill and mathematics skill was (Mix et al., 2016; Mix et al., 2017) replicated across grade, SES, and sex. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses conducted for each of these subgroups indicated that the same latent structure was present, despite differences in overall performance. These findings replicate and extend prior work on SES and sex differences related to spatial and mathematics skill, but provide evidence that the relations between the domains are stable and consistent across subgroups.

A-106 Mediating Community Factors in TBI Outcomes of Young Adults

Abstract Objective The goal of this study is to determine where racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences exist regarding longitudinal outcomes in young adults following a TBI. The Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) provides data coded for community, racial and ethnic groups and outcomes. This study maps Poverty Solutions Initiative data from the University of Michigan onto TBIMS outcomes data. We hypothesize SES, racial and ethnic differences predict functional and psychosocial outcomes and broader community factors improve prediction. Minorities in economically disadvantaged areas will have poorer functional and psychosocial outcomes. Method Data was obtained from the TBIMS database. Participants included (N = 3251) young adults ages 19–24 at the time of their TBI and outcomes for 1, 2 and 5 years after injury. A table of demographic information is provided in the attached image. The poverty Solutions Index was mapped onto TBIMS data by matching county codes. Results A mediation analysis was used to synthesize the data. Predictors include race and preinjury income, outcomes include functional and psychosocial, mediators include community SES, and confounders include injury severity. Conclusions When controlling for injury severity, relative preinjury income levels seemingly predict functional outcomes. This poster will discuss if and to what extent community factors are a mediator in TBI recovery.

Caught by surprise: The adaptation of parental expectations after unexpected ability track placement

The study examines the adaptation of educational expectations. It focuses on the expectations that parents have of their children during the transition from primary to secondary school in Germany. During this transition, students are placed into different ability tracks. It is examined whether parents react to this information about their child's achievement by adjusting their educational expectations or whether their expectations are nonreactive to the achievement information conveyed by track placement. It is hypothesized that parents are more likely to adapt their expectations regarding final educational attainment if their child's track placement is not consistent with the expectations that they held before the track placement was known. Furthermore, SES differences in this adjustment process are expected as parents of different social status have different orientations towards achievement information. The study uses data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), Starting Cohort 2 and focuses on the years between the third grade of primary school and fifth grade, which is the first year of secondary school. This means that students and parents can be followed across the moment in the academic career at which track placement happens. Furthermore, the variations in the tracking decisions across the German federal states is used to examine how the adaptation of parents’ expectations is affected based on how much influence parents have on track placement. Two-way fixed effect models are employed to model the change of expectations between the two time points in the data. The results show that low-SES parents do adjust their expectations more strongly downward when their children receive a lower track placement than expected; however, high-SES parents maintain their high expectations even in light of such negative achievement information. High- and low-SES parents do not significantly differ in their expectation adjustment if their children's track placement is higher than their previous expectations.

Using the Working Model of Adjustment to Chronic Illness to explain the burden of recurrent urinary tract infection: A survey-based study

Abstract Introduction The treatment of recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI) with antibiotics is causing concern as patients are often prescribed an inappropriate course of antibiotics, and the recurrence rate remains at 30–44% following treatment (1). Overprescription of antibiotics can also cause antimicrobial resistance. Given the current lack of adequate clinical guidelines for RUTI treatment, it is necessary for this population to adjust to living with a chronic condition, and research suggests that RUTI may be associated with poor mental health and a lower quality of life. Thus, there is a need for a more interdisciplinary approach to understanding RUTI, to inform additional treatment options. Aim The current study aimed to use the Working Model of Adjustment to Chronic Illness (WMACI) (see Figure 1) to explore the personal, physical and social burden of RUTI (2). Methods A cross-sectional survey was employed, which was informed by existing questionnaires and reviewed by experts including pain specialists (n = 6). 5,078 participants accessed liveutifree.com to seek information regarding their condition and completed the Live UTI Free survey. Participants provided information on their experiences with RUTI (recurrence rate, symptoms, pain intensity, triggers and comorbidity) and the associated burden. Binomial logistic regressions were conducted to assess the effect of RUTI characteristics on the likelihood of experiencing personal, physical and social burden. Results RUTI predicted greater likelihood of personal burden (enjoyment of life; enjoyment of favourite activities; mental health) (R² = 18.8 – 20.8, p = <.001), physical burden (sleep; activities of daily living; maintaining a healthy lifestyle; sexual behaviour) (R² = 21.1 – 35.9, p = <.001), and social burden (normal work; finances; relationships with friends and family; relationships with partners) (R² = 17.0 - 25.8, p = <.001), with the burden associated with sexual behaviour showing the largest amount of variance. Rate of recurrence, symptom burden, pain intensity, and having an additional diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis (IC) were most predictive of participant burden. Conclusion RUTI was associated with all areas of burden. Some factors, including pain intensity and having an additional diagnosis of IC, affected a majority of areas. Predicted burden from having an additional diagnosis of IC may be a result of lack of clarity between the two diagnoses, which have shared symptom indicators and rely on urine culture testing, which has been demonstrated to be inaccurate. Misdiagnosis, or a dual diagnosis, may consequently contribute to burden. The WMACI was used to suggest how burden can lead to poor illness adjustment. Limitations of the study were that it did not explore the possibility of misdiagnosis and its impact, or investigate the effects of SES and country-level differences. However, the findings of the study have important clinical implications, as patients worldwide who are suffering with RUTI are required to manage significant burden that is associated with the condition, and this is an important issue which needs to be addressed in primary care settings. An interdisciplinary approach in primary care settings is recommended, which acknowledges the psychosocial burden that persists when treatment fails to resolve physical symptoms.

Socioeconomic disparities in the comprehension of lexical categories. A study with Spanish-speaking Argentinian toddlers

This study documents the effects of social inequality on different dimensions of lexical comprehension in Spanish-speaking Argentinian toddlers, a population in which socioeconomic differences are more striking than in previously studied populations. Using a performance-based forced-choice lexical recognition task implemented on a tablet, an adaptation of the Computerized Comprehension Task (CCT; Friend and Keplinger. Journal of Child Language, 35(01), 77-98. 2003), recognition accuracy and haptic response time to nouns, verbs, and adjectives were assessed. Low and middle (socioeconomic status) SES toddlers (N = 113) were tested at the daycares they attended. Results of the regression analyses showed overall SES effects on recognition accuracy but not on response time. Further analyses that considered the lexical category identified that middle SES children were only more accurate on the recognition of nouns and adjectives but not verbs. Findings also indicated that while low SES children showed longer response times to adjectives than to the other lexical categories, middle SES response times were longer in the case of verbs. The discussion links SES differences in children performance to previous evidence regarding the characteristics of both groups of children’s linguistic experiences in the ebb and flow of everyday life.