Relation of Rearing Environment to Adaptive Behavior of Egyptian Toddlers

• Published in: Child development Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 586 - 604
• Main Authors: Wachs, Theodore D., Bishry, Zeinab, Sobhy, Afaf, McCabe, George, Galal, Osman, Shaheen, Farouk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.1993
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1993.tb02930.x

2 questions were explored: (1) Do observed relations found in Western cultures between specific psychosocial environmental factors and toddlers adaptive behavior resemble the pattern of relations found in a non‐Western setting? (2) Does the specificity of relations between environment and performance found in Western cultures also operate in a non‐Western culture? Subjects were 153 Egyptian toddlers, 18–30 months of age, and their caregivers. Twice a month between 18 and 30 months toddlers were observed in naturalistic interactions with their caregivers, and measures of caregiver behavior and toddler functioning were coded. Replicating previous results from Western cultures, canonical analysis indicated that caregiver vocal stimulation was positively related to indices of toddler behavioral competence, while nonverbal response to vocalization and physical contact stimulation were negatively related. The salience of sib caregivers was also noted. Particularly for the age period between 24 and 29 months, results indicated specificity of environmental action such that measures of caregiver vocal stimulation were uniquely related to measures of toddler vocalization, while caregiver response to distress was uniquely related to toddler emotionality. The present pattern of results suggests at least some degree of cross‐cultural generalizability of environment‐development relations and of the specificity model of environmental action.