Paper
Impacts of environmental factors on cognitive development of immi-grant children from developing countries
- issue: Issue 2 / 2009
- authors: Anne J. Choquette, Danielle Blanchard, Marie-Claude Guay
- keywords: household, cognitive development, Canada
- views: 5184
- downloaded: 1
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abstract
Background. In Canada, multiculturalism has been evolving continuously for the last twenty years. As a result, immigrant students from developing countries are overrepresented in a majority of the French-speaking school in Montreal. Specifically, in a few poor neighbourhoods situated in the north-east of the Island of Montreal, 50% of the students or their parents originate from countries other than Canada. However, studies have shown that during their school years, students might encounter numerous obstacles and challenges that are directly linked to their cultural reality. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the cognitive development of immigrant and non-immigrant preschool-aged children coming from these poor Montreal neighbourhoods. A second objective of this research is to highlight which elements of the children's lifestyle are involved in their development in order to identify different vulnerabilities and later to implement adapted interventions.
Purpose. Cognitive development during infancy is directly related to subsequent academic achievement. The child's optimum development is determined by numerous and various learning opportunities that they encounter (Middlemiss, 2005; Ramey & Ramey, 1998, 1999). Moreover, cognitive development and academic success are linked to the quality of the environment in which the child grows up (Marturano et al., 2005; Normand et al., 2007). Among several psycho-social risk factors, poverty, parents' low academic achievement and single-parent households are known to impede the child's cognitive development (Ackerman et al., 1999). However, it seems to be the combination of these factors rather than the presence of one factor that has the most detrimental effects to the development of the child. Considering that immigrant families often present several of the above-mentioned psycho-social factors, it is important to understand their reality (Greenberg et al., 1999). Several studies conducted in ethnic communities, particularly African Americans and Hispanics in North America, suggest that the overall cognitive development scores and academic achievement of children whose parents originated from developing countries, were lower than those of children from non-developing countries and the occidental population. Some researchers impute these differences to genetic factors and support the idea that environmental factors are only marginally involved. Moreover, to support their belief these researchers mentioned that differences in IQ were still observed after controlling for the socio-economic status. Studies demonstrated that the socio-economic status variable alone does not account for the complex constellation of variables which usually composes poverty. In fact, Duncan and Brooks-Gunn (2000) suggested that it is the combination of several risk factors that explains how poverty reverberates on the child's development. Thus, it is important to understand the major contribution of ethnicity and socio-economic status on the child's development.
Findings. A study undertaken in Montreal targeting children between the age of 20 and 42 months coming from 513 households concluded that families immigrating from developing countries cumulated more risk factors than non-immigrant families. Results from this study show that regardless of the risk factor, the overall cognitive development scores of children whose parents originated from developing countries were lower than scores of children from non-developing countries and the occidental population. The cognitive development score is obtained using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (DSID-II). In addition to demographic measures, the elements from the context of life were collected with the Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule, the Parental Stress Index and a specific questionnaire developed by a group of researchers in order to gather information regarding the household and the social environment. A hierarchal regression analysis was used to measure the impact of these elements on the child's development. The key variables that are measured in this study and that are known to have the greatest impact on the child's development, are the following:
- number of risk factors;
- household environment (educational toys and stimuli, books);
- educational strategies used by parents;
- occupational density of the home and
- ethnic origin.
Results indicated that when considering variables linked to risk factors and home environment of the families studied, the family's ethnic origin was insignificant, accounting for 0.0% of the variance in the child's cognitive development scores. These results confirm that immigrant families from developing countries live in a very poor environment that impairs child development. However these children are receiving the same education as the one offered to non-immigrant families. Nowadays, it is well-known that cognitive development in preschool age is strongly linked to school achievement. These results highlight the importance of developing cognitive stimulation programs adapted to the needs of immigrant families from developing countries.
Key references
Ackerman, B. P., Izard, C. E., Schoff, K., Youngstrom, E. A., & Kogos, J. (1999). Contextual risk, caregiver emotionality, and the problem behaviours of six- and seven-year-old children from economically disadvantaged families. Child Development, 70, 1415-1427.
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Bayley, N. (1993). Bayley Sacles of Infant Development (2e éd.) San Francisco: The Psychological Corporation.
Duncan, G. J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). Family poverty, welfare reform, and child development. Child Development, 71, 188-196.
Greenberg, M. T., Lengua, L. J., Coie, J. D., Pinderhughes, E. E. (1999). Predicting developmental outcomes at school entry using a multirisk model: 4 American communities. Developmental Psychology, 35, 403-417.
Marturano, E. M., Ferreira, M. de C. T., & Bacarji, K. M. G. A. (2005). An Evaluation Scale of Family Environment For Identification of Children at Risk of School Failure. Psychological Reports, 96, 307-321.
Middlemiss, W. (2005). Prevention and Intervention: Using Resiliency-Based Multi-Setting Approaches and a Process-Orientation. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22, 85-103.
Normand, C. L., Baillargeon, R. H., & Brousseau, J. (2007). Le statut socio-économique de la famille et le développement cognitif dans la première année de vie. Revue canadienne des Sciences du comportement, 39, 202-219.
Ramey, C. T., & Ramey, S. L. (1999). Early experience and early intervention for children "at risk" for developmental delay and mental retardation. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 5, 1-10.
Ramey, C. T., & Ramey, S. L. (1998). Early Intervention and Early Experience. American Psychologist, 53, 109-120.
Contacts: Anne J. Choquette, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Département de psychologie, DS-1844, Casier Postal 8888, Succursale Centre Ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, choquette.anne@courrier.uqam.ca; anne_choquette@hotmail.com, Phone514 575 3758.