Receptive and expressive vocabulary performance in 2- to 5-year-olds in care: The role of different care types and temperament

Yavaslar Dogru Y., Koc-Arik G., Doğru O. C., Kazak Berument S.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, cilt.243, 2024 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 243
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105924
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, PASCAL, BIOSIS, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Diathesis–stress, Foster care, Institution, Temperament, Vantage sensitivity, Vocabulary
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The detrimental role of institutionalization in children's development has prompted the introduction of alternative care types designed to offer more personalized care. The current study aimed to test whether children in alternative care types (care villages, care homes, and foster care) performed better on vocabulary than those in institutions. The role of temperament, specifically perceptual sensitivity and frustration, and the interaction between temperament and care types on vocabulary performance were also explored. The study involved 285 2- to 5-year-old children from different care types, and they were assessed through receptive and expressive vocabulary tests and temperament scales. The results of the linear mixed model revealed that children in alternative care types exhibited significantly higher vocabulary scores compared with those in institutions. Moreover, perceptual sensitivity showed a positive association with receptive and expressive vocabulary skills and seemed to act as a protective factor by mitigating the lower vocabulary scores in institutions. Frustration moderated vocabulary outcomes differently for children in institutions and foster care, aligning with the diathesis–stress model and vantage sensitivity theory, respectively. The findings emphasize the positive role of alternative care types in vocabulary performance and the importance of children's temperamental traits in this process.