Skip to main content
Log in

Scaffolding interaction in parent-child dyads: Multimodal analysis of parental scaffolding with task and non-task oriented children

  • Published:
European Journal of Psychology of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this exploratory study we conceptualized and explored socio-cognitive, emotional and motivational regulatory processes displayed in scaffolding interaction between parents and their non-task and taskoriented children. Based on the dynamic systems view and findings from developmental research, we assumed that parents with non-task oriented and task-oriented children have formed differential multimodal interaction patterns which have been stabilized during repeated parent-child scaffolding episodes. We hypothesized that, in comparison with task-oriented parent-child dyads, parents with non-task oriented children would show more non-optimal patterns in socio-cognitive, motivational, and emotional realms of scaffolding regulation. The sample consisted of 11 task-oriented and 12 non-task oriented (extremely task-avoidant or socially dependent) 7-year-old children with their parents. The children worked on picture arrangement and brick construction tasks. The quality of parent-child regulation was assessed both by global rating scales and by a micro-analytic procedure focused on dyadic coordinations (e.g., parental intrusiveness, directiveness, modulation of emotions and expectations). Global ratings and micro-analyses did reveal group level differences in socio-emotional regulation but not in socio-cognitive and motivational regulation.

Résumé

Dans la présente etude exploratoire, nous avons conceptualisé et examiné des processus régulateurs sociocognitifs, émotionnels et motivationnels intervenant dans l’étayage interactionniste parent-enfant avec ou sans la motivation intrinsèque envers la tâche. Sur la base des approches de systèmes dynamiques et des résultats de recherches antérieures, nous avons postulé que l’étayage parental chez les enfants avec la motivation envers la tâche a formé des modèles interactionnistes multidimensionnels différant de ceux sans la motivation envers la tâche. Ces modèles différents se seraient stabilisés lors d’épisodes répétés d’étavage parental. Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que les parents qui ont des enfants sans la motivation envers la tâche auraient plus de modèles non optimaux en situation d’étayage liée aux processus régulateurs sociocognitifs, émotionnels et motivationnels, en comparaison aux situations dyadiques parent-enfant avec la motivation envers la tâche. Notre corpus consistait en 11 enfants avec la motivation et 12 enfants sans la motivation envers la tâche (ces derniers extrêmement évasifs ou socialement dépendants) âgés de sept ans et en leurs parents. Dans l’expérimentation, il s’agissait de leur proposer des tâches d’agencement d’images et d’un jeu de construction. La qualité de la régulation de l’interaction de tutelle parent-enfant a été mesurée par une échelle d’évaluation globale et par une étude microanalytique centrée sur des situations de coordination dyadiques (i.e., l’intrusion parentale, l’attitude directive, la modulation émotionnelle et les attentes). Il ressort des analyses, à l’échelle globale et microanalytique, que l’hypothèse des différences au niveau des groupes s’avére juste en ce qui concerne la situation de régulation émotion nelle mais pas celle de régulation sociocognitive et motivationnelle.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainsworth, M.D., Blehar, M.C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978).Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Yagon, M., & Mikulincer, M. (2004). Socioemotional and academic adjustment among children with learning disorders: The mediational role of attachment-based factors.Journal of Special Education, 38, 111–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aunola, K., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2004). Maternal affection moderates the impact of psychological control on a child’s mathematical performance.Developmental Psychology, 40, 965–978.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baird, S., Haas, L., McCormick, K., Carruth, C., & Turner, K. (1992). Approaching an objective system for observation and measurement: Infant-parent social interaction code.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 12, 544–571.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, L., Sonnenschein, S., & Gilat, M. (1996). Mothers’ sensitivity to the competencies of their preschoolers on concept-learning task.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 11, 405–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, M., & Boggiano, A.K. (1988). Fostering extrinsic orientations: Use of reward strategies to motivate children.Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 6, 293–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T.P., Strassberg, Z., Kees, M.R., & Drabick, D.A. (2002). Cognitive response repertoires to child noncompliance by mothers of aggressive boys.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 89–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berk, L.E., & Spuhl, S.T. (1995). Maternal interaction, private speech, and task performance in preschool children.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 10, 145–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biemiller, A., & Meichenbaum, D. (1998). The consequences of negative scaffolding for students who learn slowly.Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31, 365–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brophy, M., & Dunn, J. (2002). What did mummy say? Dyadic interactions between young “hard to manage” children and their mothers.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 30, 103–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke-Stewart, K.A., & Beck, R. (1999). Maternal scaffolding and children’s narrative retelling of a movie story.Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 14, 409–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales.Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 37–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conner, D.B., & Cross, D.R. (2003). Longitudinal analysis of the presence, efficacy and stability of maternal scaffolding during informal problem-solving interactions.British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 21, 315–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz, R.M., Neal, C.J., & Vachio, A. (1991). Maternal teaching in the zone of proximal development: A comparison of low- and high-risk dyads.Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 37, 83–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dix, T. (1991). The affective organization of parenting: Adaptive and maladaptive processes.Psychological Bulletin, 110, 3–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dumas, J.E., & LaFreniere, P.J. (1993). Mother-child relationships as sources of support or stress: A comparison of competent, average, aggressive, and anxious dyads.Child Development, 64, 1732–1754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dumas, J.E., Lemay, P., & Dauwalder, J.-P. (2001). Dynamic analyses of mother-child interactions in functional and dysfunctional dyads: A synergetic approach.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29, 317–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egeland, B., Pianta, R., & O’Brien, M.A. (1993). Maternal intrusiveness in infancy and child maladaptation in early school years.Development and Psychopathology, 5, 359–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagot, B.I., & Gauvain, M. (1997). Mother-child problem solving: Continuity through the early childhood years.Development Psychology, 33, 480–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fidalgo, Z., & Pereira, F. (2005). Socio-cultural differences and the adjustment of mothers’ speech to their children’s cognitive and language comprehension skills.Learning and Instruction, 15, 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freund, L. (1990). Maternal regulation of children’s problem-solving behavior and its impact on children’s performance.Child Development, 61, 113–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gauvain, M., & DeMent, T. (1991). The role of shared social history in parent-child cognitive activity.Quarterly Newsletter of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition, 13, 58–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginsburg, G.S., & Bronstein, P. (1993). Family factors related to children’s intrinsic/extrinsic motivational orientation and academic performance.Child Development, 64, 1461–1474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, M.-M. (1996). Tasks and activities. A parent-child interaction analysis.Learning and Instruction, 6, 287–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, J.F., & Linn, M.I. (2003). “Maladaptive” Behaviours in the young child with intellectual disabilities: A reconsideration.International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 50, 137–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granic, I., & Dishion, T.J. (2003). Deviant talk in adolescent friendships: A step toward measuring a pathogenic attractor process.Social Development, 12, 314–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granic, I., & Hollenstein, T. (2003). Dynamic systems methods for models of developmental psychopathology.Development and Psychology, 15, 641–669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Granic, I., & Lamey, A.V. (2002). Combining dynamic systems and multivariate analyses to compare the mother-child interactions of externalizing subtypes.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 3, 265–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granic, I., Hollenstein, T., Dishion, T.J., & Patterson, G.R. (2003). Longitudinal analysis of flexibility and reorganization in early adolescence: A dynamic systems study of family interactions.Developmental Psychology, 39, 606–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grolnick, W.S., Gurland, S.T., DeCourcey, W., & Jacob, K. (2002). Antecedents and consequences of mothers’ autonomy support: An experimental investigation.Developmental Psychology, 38, 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrist, A.W., & Waugh, R.M. (2002). Dyadic synchrony: Its structure and function in children’s development.Developmental Review, 22, 555–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hokoda, A., & Fincham, F.D. (1995). Origins of children’s helpless and mastery achievement patterns in the family.Journal of Educational Psychology, 87, 375–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollenstein, T., Granic, I., Stoolmiller, M., & Snyder, J. (2004). Rigidity in parent-child interactions and the development of externalizing and internalizing behavior in early childhood.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 595–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz, L.M. (1996). The study of interpersonal problems: A Leary legacy.Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 283–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbs-Tait, L., McDonald-Culp, A., Culp, R.E., & Miller, C.E. (2002). Relation of maternal cognitive stimulation. emotional support, and intrusive behaviour during head start to children’s kindergarten cognitive abilities.Child Development, 73, 110–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, J.L., & Rapee, R.M. (2001). Parent-child interactions and anxiety disorders: An observational study.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39, 1411–1427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hustedt, J.T., & Raver, C.C. (2002). Scaffolding in low-income mother-child dyads: Relations with joint attention and dyadic reciprocity.International Journal of Behavioral Development, 26, 113–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isabella, R.A., & Belsky, J. (1991). Interactional synchrony and the origins of infant-mother attachment.Child Development, 62, 373–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Junttila, N., Vauras, M., & Laakkonen, E. (2006, this issue). The role of parenting self-efficacy in children’s social and academic behaviour.European Journal of Psychology of Education.

  • Kopecky, H. (2004).Scaffolding practices of maltreating and non maltreating mothers and their relation to child outcomes. Unpublished doctoral disseration. Rochester, New York: University of Rochester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landry, S.H., Smith, K.E., Swank, P.R., & Miller-Loncar, C.L. (2000). Early maternal and child influences on children’s later independent cognitive and social functioning.Child Development, 71, 358–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landy, S., & Menna, R. (2001). Play between aggresive young children and their mothers.Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 6, 223–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehtinen, E., Vauras, M., Salonen, P., Olkinuora, E., & Kinnunen, R. (1995). Long-term development of learning activity: Motivational, cognitive, and cognitive, and social interaction.Educational Psychologist, 30, 21–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepola, J., Salonen, P., Vauras, M., & Poskiparta, E. (2004) Understanding the development of subnormal performance in children from a motivational-interactionist perspective. In: H. Switzky (Ed.),International Review of Research in Mental Retardation: Personality and motivational systems in mental retardation (vol. 28, pp. 145–189). San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lepper, M.R. (1981). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in children: Detrimental effects of superfluous social controls In W.A. Collins (Ed.),Ispects of the development of competence: The Minnesota symposia on child psychology (vol. 14, pp. 155–214), Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, M.D. (2004). Trouble ahead: Predicting antisocial trajectories with dynamic systems concepts and methods.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32, 665–671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Low, C.M. (2003).Self-regulation in children with and without developmental delays: Roles of cognition, temperament and parenting. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E.E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children.Developmental Psychology, 28, 1006–1017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mattanah, J.F., Pratt, M.W., Cowan, P.A., & Cowan, C. (2005). Authoritative parenting, parental scaffolding of longdivision mathematics, and children’s academic competence in fourth grade.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26, 85–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meichenbaum, D., & Biemiller, A. (1998).Nurturing independent learners. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neitzel, C., & Stright, A.D. (2003). Mothers’ scaffolding of children’s problem solving: Establishing a foundation of academic self-regulatory competence.Journal of Family Psychology, 17, 147–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, T.G. (2002). Annotation: The effects of parenting reconsidered: Findings, challenges, and applications.Journal of Child Psychology, Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 43, 555–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olkinuora, E., & Salonen, P. (1992). Adaptation, motivational orientation, and cognition in a subnormally-performing child: A systemic perspective for training. In B. Wong (Ed.),Intervention research in learning disabilities: An international perspective (pp. 190–213), New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pacifici, C., & Bearison, D.J. (1991). Dewelopment of children’s self-regulations in idealized and mother-child interactions.Cognitive Development, 6, 261–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plumert, J.M., & Nichols-Whitehead, P. (1996). Parental scaffolding of young children’s spatial communication.Developmental Psychology, 32, 523–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pomerantz, E.M., & Eaton, M.M. (2001). Maternal intrusive support in academic context: Transactional socialization processes.Developmental Psychology, 37, 174–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, M.W., Green, D., MacVicar, J., & Bountrogianni, M. (1992). The mathematical parent: Parental scaffolding, parenting style, and learning outcomes in long-division mathematics homework.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 13, 17–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, M.W., Kerig, P., Cowan, P.A., & Cowan, C.P. (1988). Mothers and fathers teaching 3-year-olds: Authoritative parenting and adult scaffolding of young childre’s learning.Developmental Psychology, 24, 832–839.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prigogine, L., & Stengers, I. (1984).Order out of chaos. Toronto: Bantam Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radke-Yarrow, M. (1989). Developmental and contextual analysis of continuity.Human Development, 32, 204–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogoff, B., & Gardner, W. (1984). Adult guidance of cognitive development. In B. Rogoff & J. Lave (Eds.),Everyday cognition: Its development in social context (pp. 95–116) Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salonen, P. (1987).A category system for children’s coping strategies. Unpublished manuscript. Centre for Learning Research. University of Turku.

  • Salonen, P. (1988). Learning disabled children’s situational orientations and coping strategies.Nordisk Pedagogik, 8, 70–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salonen, P., & Vauras, M. (2006). Von der Fremdregulation zur Selbstregulation: Die Rolle von sozialen Makrostrukturen in der Interaktion zwischen Lehrenden und Lernenden [From other-regulation to self-regulation: The role of social macro-structures in teacher-learner interaction]. In M. Baer, M. Fuchs, P. Füglister, K. Reusser, & H. Wyss (Eds.),Didaktik auf psychologischer Grundlage: Von Hans Aebli’s kognitionspsychologischer Didaktik zur modernen Lehr- und Lernforschung [Didactics based on psychological research From Hans Aebli’s cognitive-psychological didactics to modem research on teaching and learning] (pp. 207–217), Bern: li.e.p. Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salonen, P., Lehtinen, E., & Olkinuora, E. (1998). Expectations and beyond: The development of motivation and learning in a classroom context In J. Brophy (Ed.),Advances in research on teaching: Expectations in the classroom (vol. 7, pp. 111–150). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salonen, P., Vauras, M., & Efklides, A. (2005). Social interaction — What can it tell us about metacognition and coregulation in learning.European Psychologist, 10, 199–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salonen, P., Vauras, M., & liskala, T. (2004, September/October) Metacognitive, motivational and affective coregulation in collaborative learning settings: A microgenetic analysis of interpersonal patterns. Paper presented in the symposium M. Vauras (Chair) Motivation, affect and self-regulation. The 9th International Conference on Motivation, Lisbon, Portugal.

  • Sameroff, A., & MacKenzie, M. (2003). Research strategies for capturing transactional models of development: The limits of the possible.Development and Psychopathology, 15, 613–640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, E., & Edge, K. (2002). Parenting, motivation, and the development of children’s coping.Nebraska Symposium in Motivation, 48, 77–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, L.B., & Thelen, E. (2003). Development as a dynamic system.Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7, 343–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, J., Stoolmiller, M., Wilson, M., & Yamamoto, M. (2003). Child anger regulation, parental responses to children’s anger displays, and early child antisocial behavior.Social Development, 12, 335–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinrad, T.L., Stifter, C.A., Donelan-McCall, N., & Turner, L. (2004). Mother’s regulation strategies in response to toddlers’ affect: Links to later emotion self-regulation.Social Development, 13, 40–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, C.A. (1998). The metaphor of scaffolding: Its utility for the field of learning disabilities.Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31, 344–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thelen, E., & Smith, L.B. (1994).A dynamic systems approach to the development of cognition and action. Cambridge, MA: Bradford Books/MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vauras, M., Salonen, P., Lehtinen, E., & Lepola, J. (2001). Long-term development of motivation and cognition in family and school contexts. In S. Volet & S. Järvelä (Eds.),Motivation in learning contexts: Theoretical advances and methodological implications (pp. 295–315). Amsterdam: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermunt, J.D., & Verloop, N. (1999). Congruence and friction between teaching and learning.Learning and Instruction.9, 257–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wakschlag, L.S., & Hans, S.L. (1999). Relation of maternal responsiveness during infancy to the development of behavior problems in high-risk youth.Developmental Psychology, 35, 569–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winsler, A. (1998). Parent-child interaction and private speech in boys with ADHD.Applied Developmental Science, 2, 17–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, D., Bruner, J.S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17, 89–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pekka Salonen.

Additional information

This research was supported by Grant No. 201782 from the Council for Social Sciences, Academy of Finland to the third author, and by Grant No. 52039 to the second author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Salonen, P., Lepola, J. & Vauras, M. Scaffolding interaction in parent-child dyads: Multimodal analysis of parental scaffolding with task and non-task oriented children. Eur J Psychol Educ 22, 77–96 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173690

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173690

Key words

Navigation