The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development::  evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts

Susan Harkness; Marina Fenandez-Salgado

The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts

Susan Harkness, Marina Fenandez-Salgado

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

This article assessed changes in the association between single motherhood and children’s verbal cognitive ability at age-11 using data from three cohorts of British children, born in 1958 (n=10,675), 1970 (n=8,933) and 2000 (n=9,989), and mediation analysis. Consistent with previous studies, direct effects were small and insignificant. For those born in 1958 and 1970 indirect effects, operating through reduced economic and parental resources, were associated with -.107-SD to -.156-SD lower attainment. Differences between the two cohorts, and by children’s age when parents separated, were insignificant. For the 2000 cohort, effect sizes for children born to single mothers did not change significantly (-.112-SD), but attenuated for children whose parents separated in early childhood (-.076-SD) or while of school age (-.054-SD).

Original language	English
Journal	Child Development
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 9 Jul 2019

Cite this

Susan Harkness, & Marina Fenandez-Salgado (Accepted/In press). The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts. Child Development.

The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts. / Susan Harkness; Marina Fenandez-Salgado.

In: Child Development, 09.07.2019.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Susan Harkness & Marina Fenandez-Salgado 2019, 'The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts', Child Development.

Susan Harkness, Marina Fenandez-Salgado. The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts. Child Development. 2019 Jul 9.

Susan Harkness ; Marina Fenandez-Salgado. / The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts. In: Child Development. 2019.

@article{2dff467f47074fcfa29a3adcef730d3a,

title = "The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development:: evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts",

abstract = "This article assessed changes in the association between single motherhood and children’s verbal cognitive ability at age-11 using data from three cohorts of British children, born in 1958 (n=10,675), 1970 (n=8,933) and 2000 (n=9,989), and mediation analysis. Consistent with previous studies, direct effects were small and insignificant. For those born in 1958 and 1970 indirect effects, operating through reduced economic and parental resources, were associated with -.107-SD to -.156-SD lower attainment. Differences between the two cohorts, and by children’s age when parents separated, were insignificant. For the 2000 cohort, effect sizes for children born to single mothers did not change significantly (-.112-SD), but attenuated for children whose parents separated in early childhood (-.076-SD) or while of school age (-.054-SD).",

author = "{Susan Harkness} and {Marina Fenandez-Salgado} and Paul Gregg",

year = "2019",

month = "7",

day = "9",

language = "English",

journal = "Child Development",

issn = "0009-3920",

publisher = "Wiley",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Rise in Single-Mother Families and Children’s Cognitive Development:

T2 - evidence from the 1958, 1970 and 2000 British Birth Cohorts

AU - Susan Harkness

AU - Marina Fenandez-Salgado

AU - Gregg, Paul

PY - 2019/7/9

Y1 - 2019/7/9

N2 - This article assessed changes in the association between single motherhood and children’s verbal cognitive ability at age-11 using data from three cohorts of British children, born in 1958 (n=10,675), 1970 (n=8,933) and 2000 (n=9,989), and mediation analysis. Consistent with previous studies, direct effects were small and insignificant. For those born in 1958 and 1970 indirect effects, operating through reduced economic and parental resources, were associated with -.107-SD to -.156-SD lower attainment. Differences between the two cohorts, and by children’s age when parents separated, were insignificant. For the 2000 cohort, effect sizes for children born to single mothers did not change significantly (-.112-SD), but attenuated for children whose parents separated in early childhood (-.076-SD) or while of school age (-.054-SD).

AB - This article assessed changes in the association between single motherhood and children’s verbal cognitive ability at age-11 using data from three cohorts of British children, born in 1958 (n=10,675), 1970 (n=8,933) and 2000 (n=9,989), and mediation analysis. Consistent with previous studies, direct effects were small and insignificant. For those born in 1958 and 1970 indirect effects, operating through reduced economic and parental resources, were associated with -.107-SD to -.156-SD lower attainment. Differences between the two cohorts, and by children’s age when parents separated, were insignificant. For the 2000 cohort, effect sizes for children born to single mothers did not change significantly (-.112-SD), but attenuated for children whose parents separated in early childhood (-.076-SD) or while of school age (-.054-SD).

M3 - Article

JO - Child Development

JF - Child Development

SN - 0009-3920

ER -