Abstract

Objective. We do not know which maternal characteristics and aspects of the home environment are associated with more favorable executive function (EF) development in understudied Global South populations. The current study attempts to address this research gap. Design. A sample of 4,464 mother-child dyads was followed over 8 years. Maternal personality and cognitive abilities were assessed at child age 2.7 years, parental emotional support and the home learning environment at child age 4.8 years, and maternal parenting stress and children's verbal working memory (Backwards Digit Span), and global EFs (Hearts and Flowers tasks) at child age 10.5 years. Generalized linear model analyses were conducted to examine whether maternal characteristics and the home environment during early childhood predicted verbal working memory and global EFs in middle childhood, after controlling for sociodemographic family characteristics. Results. Maternal attention and working memory, maternal vocabulary, and the home learning environment were positively associated with children's verbal working memory, whereas maternal parenting stress was negatively associated with children's verbal working memory. Maternal attention and memory, as well as parental emotional support, showed positive associations, whereas maternal neuroticism, the home learning environment, and maternal parenting stress showed negative associations with children's global EFs. Conclusions. Maternal characteristics and the home environment during early childhood play specific roles in children's EF skills across middle childhood in Chilean elementary school children in ways that might guide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in designing prevention or intervention programs.