Cognitive modifiability as a function of mother-child mediated learning strategies, mothers’ acceptance-rejection, and children'

This study investigated (a) the effects of mediated learning
experience (MLE) in mother-child interactions on cognitive
modifiability as measured by dynamic assessment, (b) the
effects of mothers' acceptance-rejection towards their children
and the children's personality on the mothers' MLE
strategies, (c) the combined effects of the mothers' acceptance-
rejection, children's personality, and MLE strategies on
children's cognitive modifiability, and (d) the prediction of
cognitive modifiability by MLE interactions in two distinct
conditions: free-play and structured. Fifty-four mother-child
dyads (26 boys and 28 girls) in grade 2 were videotaped
interacting in two situations: free-play and structured. The
interactions were analysed with observation of mediation
instrument using five criteria: intentionality and reciprocity,
transcendence, meaning, feelings of competence, and regulation
of behaviour. The children were administered the parent
acceptance-rejection questionnaire, the personality assessment
questionnaire, and the children's inferential thinking
modifiability test. A distal-proximal factors of cognitive
modifiability model was used to explain causal paths among
mothers' acceptance-rejection and children's personality (distal)
on MLE (proximal), and of both on children's cognitive
modifiability. A structural equation model analysis revealed
that (a) all MLE criteria were predicted by the distal factors
of mothers' acceptance-rejection and children's personality,
(b) none of the mothers' attitudes or children's personality
factors explained the children's cognitive factors, (c) MLE
criteria of transcendence and regulation of behaviour explained
the children's CITM-post-teaching score but not the
CITM-pre-teaching score. The results are discussed in relation
to Feuerstein's MLE theory and Tzuriel's previous results
with preschool children