Parental sensitivity, child cognitive competence, and child socioemotional competence: Long‐term cascade and transactional effects

Abstract Objective The goal was to test a developmental model incorporating various parent and child effects. Background Approaches offered to describe child development include attachment, transactional, and cascade perspectives, but research testing these three theories simultaneously has been lacking. Method We investigated whether early parental sensitivity predicted later child competence, child cognitive competence and socioemotional competence predicted one another, transactional relations existed between parental sensitivity and child competence, and the association between parental sensitivity and child competence was moderated by child gender. Indirect effects between parental sensitivity and child competence were examined. Multiple‐informant data from a multiethnic sample of children and their families followed from ages 3 to 10 years ( N = 1,364, 48% female) were analyzed using the cross‐lagged panel model and multiple‐group analysis in structural equation modeling. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrap. Results Parental sensitivity predicted later child competence (eight out of 18 paths, 44%), child cognitive competence and socioemotional competence predicted one another (three out of eight paths, 38%), and transactional relations between parental sensitivity and child competence existed (18 out of 32 paths, 56%). Two moderation effects by child gender were identified (out of 40 paths, 5%). Cascade and transactional indirect effects lasted between 3.5 to 5.5 years (14 out of 39 paths, 36%). Conclusion Children receiving higher parental sensitivity from early through middle childhood generally show better socioemotional and cognitive competence later, and child effects on parents are also evident. Implications Transactional effects between parental sensitivity and child competence across a longer time span merit further investigation.