Book sharing is a key literacy activity in the early years that predicts children's subsequent literacy and language abilities, and a wealth of evidence illustrates socioeconomic status (SES) differences in early childhood abilities. However, whilst research has examined book sharing frequency in depth, far less is known about how the quality of verbal and non-verbal interactions varies by the SES of the parent. This thesis addresses this question by considering the quality of book sharing interactions between mothers and their infants or children across three studies. In the first, longitudinal study, mother-infant dyads (N = 44) were filmed book sharing at 12 and 18 months (N = 34), and infant development was measured. A novel coding scheme identified a wide range of verbal and non-verbal book sharing behaviours. High SES dyads produced more positive behaviours at 12 and 18 months and these predicted infants' linguistic and cognitive abilities at 18 months. Differences in infants were observed only at 18 months, with low SES infants disengaging more frequently. To examine the link between book sharing, SES and emotional functioning in older children, the second study considered mother-child book sharing behaviours in a preschool aged sample (N = 46). There were SES differences in verbal, but not non-verbal book sharing behaviours. A small number of maternal book sharing behaviours were associated with children's social and emotional abilities, suggesting children's behaviour influenced the book sharing interaction. In the final study, a book sharing intervention was designed and delivered predominantly to low SES mothers (N = 24) to explore whether mothers' book sharing behaviours could be enhanced, and increases were found in all targeted behaviours. In conclusion, book sharing behaviours that have been found to provide a more enriched interaction were seen more in high SES dyads, and predicted infants' abilities. Encouraging low SES mothers to use these enhanced interactions was successful, indicating that higher quality book sharing can be increased via a short intervention.

Introduction: In Sweden today a third of all those 60+ live alone and the absolute number will continue to increase because of the aging population. The aim of this thesis was to identify if the subgroup, older individuals living alone, might be more disadvantaged in regard to the four key sources to vulnerability suggested by Mechanic and Tanner (2007): Poverty and low socioeconomic status, personal functions, low social network and lack of support, and physical location. Gender differences were also investigated.   Method: Data was from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) collected in 2014. The total sample in this thesis includes 987 individuals with an age between 70-105. To estimate the current living conditions in regard to vulnerability among the subgroup, five dimensions of vulnerability were analyzed with multiple logistic and linear regressions.   Results: More disadvantages are found for those men and women living alone in all domains, except in social activity for women where living arrangement made no difference. Significant gender differences can be seen in depressive symptoms and social activity, but not for financial insecurity, mobility problems or living in a disorganized local community.   Conclusion: Men and women living alone are more disadvantaged compared to those living with a partner, according to the four key sources to vulnerability. With this deeper insight it is possible to obtain a greater understanding in where policies to support and strengthen this subgroup should be placed.

Este estudio tiene como objetivo explorar longitudinalmente los eventos estresantes en preadolescentes de una zona urbana de Lima. Una muestra no clínica (N = 170, 9-11 años) proveniente de niveles socioeconómicos (SES) alto y bajo en la zona urbana de Lima, fue evaluada en cuatro momentos a lo largo de dos años. El análisis multinivel mostró que la intensidad de estrés percibido disminuyó durante los dos años. Los preadolescentes de SES bajo, mostraron más estrés sobre sí mismos y sobre sus familia en comparación con los de SES alto. Las niñas se estresaban más por sus familias y amigos que los niños. Finalmente se describen los estresantes más frecuentes encontrados en este grupo de preadolescentes limeños que viven en una zona urbana. / Revisión por pares

People’s self-perception biases often lead them to see themselves as better than the average person (a phenomenon known as self-enhancement). This bias varies across cultures, and variations are typically explained using cultural variables, such as individualism versus collectivism. We propose that socioeconomic differences among societies—specifically, relative levels of economic inequality—play an important but unrecognized role in how people evaluate themselves. Evidence for selfenhancement was found in 15 diverse nations, but the magnitude of the bias varied. Greater self-enhancement was found in societies with more income inequality, and income inequality predicted cross-cultural differences in self-enhancement better than did individualism/collectivism. These results indicate that macrosocial differences in the distribution of economic goods are linked to microsocial processes of perceiving the self. / Steve Loughnan is a postdoctoral research associate funded by the Leverhulme Trust (F/00236/W). Peter Kuppens is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders and is supported by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Research Council Grants GOA/05/04 and OT/11/031. Anu Realo and Jüri Allik were supported by a grant from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science (SF0180029s08). Junqi Shi was supported by a grant from the National Nature Foundation of China (NSFC:71021001). / Revisión por pares

Multiple theoretical frameworks posit that interactions between the autonomic nervous system and higher-order neural networks are crucial for cognitive regulation. However, few studies have directly examined whether autonomic physiology influences brain activity during cognitive tasks, and even fewer of those studies have examined both autonomic branches when doing so. Measures of selective attention derived from event-related brain potentials (ERPs) are particularly well-suited for addressing this question, given that ERP selective attention tasks are designed to control for the influences of psychomotor processes and arousal and are predictive of higher-order cognitive function in children and adults. Such research is particularly promising for understanding how early adversity impacts neurocognitive development in children, given that stress experienced early in life impacts both autonomic function and selective attention. Here, a broad literature review is presented, integrating findings across studies of autonomic physiology, cognition, and brain activity in children and adults (Chapter 1). Then, two experiments are described where cardiac measures of parasympathetic and sympathetic activity were recorded concurrently with ERPs during an auditory selective task in a sample of adults (Chapter 2) and in a sample of preschool-aged children (Chapter 3). Results from both experiments demonstrate a key role for the sympathetic nervous system in selective attention for adults and children, such that greater sympathetic activity is associated with larger effects of selective attention on ERPs. These findings are then reviewed with suggestions for how existing models of neurovisceral integration might be updated to better emphasize the role of sympathetic nervous system activity in neurocognitive processes, emphasizing measures of threat-related and reward-related arousal, as represented by galvanic skin response and pre-ejection period, respectively (Chapter 4). Future directions are also discussed, including recommendations for future studies of neurovisceral integration to examine associations between physiology, behavior, and brain activity at the single-trial level, to incorporate participants from more diverse backgrounds of life experience, and to examine the plasticity of autonomic mechanisms implicated in neurocognitive function.

Parents and Children Making Connections – Highlighting Attention (PCMC-A) is a dual-generation intervention program for families from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds that includes parenting training for parents and attention training for preschool-aged children. PCMC-A has been shown to impact brain function for selective attention in children, the ability to enhance relevant information and suppress competing, distracting information. With the goal of increasing our understanding of how PCMC-A operates to promote gains in child brain function for selective attention, the main objective of this dissertation was to test intervention-related changes in supportive parenting behaviors as an explanatory mechanism for the effect of PCMC-A on neural indices of selective attention. To better understand the profile of those who benefit from PCMC-A to different extents, we also examined moderators of the effect of PCMC-A on supportive parenting and on child brain function for selective attention. These questions were examined as part of the randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of PCMC-A on Head Start preschoolers and their parents, employing a multi-method approach. We found that participation in PCMC-A led to increases in specific aspects of supportive parenting behaviors coded from observed parent-child interactions, which were moderated by child and mother characteristics at the pre-assessment, including mother reports of child behavior problems, child age, and maternal interactive language use. We also replicated with a larger sample an effect of PCMC-A on child selective attention measured using the event-related potential technique, which was moderated by mother reports of child social skills at the pre-assessment. Even though we documented changes in both of these outcomes as a function of PCMC-A, we did not find evidence that changes in supportive parenting explained gains in child selective attention, suggesting that other explanatory mechanisms may be at play. Together, the findings of the present dissertation characterize the effect of PCMC-A on supportive parenting behaviors and child selective attention, begin to paint a picture of the families who benefit most and least from this intervention, and contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms through which PCMC-A impacts child brain function for selective attention. This dissertation includes unpublished co-authored material.

O presente estudo investigou a transição para a vida adulta em jovens de diferentes níveis socioeconômicos (NSE) no sul do Brasil, e objetivou identificar a existência ou não do fenômeno chamado adultez emergente (AE) no sul país. A amostra foi composta de 547 jovens, residentes em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, entre 18 e 29 anos (M = 22 anos; IQ = 19-26), 196 (35,8%) homens, e 351 (64.2%) mulheres; de NSE baixo (n = 194, 35.5%) e alto (n = 353, 64,5%). O primeiro conjunto de estudos foi composto por análises estatísticas uni e multivariadas (Análise Fatorial, MANCOVA, e Regressões Múltiplas Moderadas). Os inventários examinados, IDEA e FESA, apresentaram nova estrutura fatorial, associadas a influências do contexto brasileiro e à necessidade de revisão das medidas originais. A AE mostrou-se mais provável de ocorrer em contextos de NSE alto. O grupo de NSE baixo apresentou tendência a assumir responsabilidades adultas precocemente, o que dificulta a experimentação de um período mais exploratório de suas identidades. A dimensão Foco em si mesmo na amostra brasileira foi associada com o processo gradual dos participantes construírem uma base para sua vida adulta; e também a uma orientação mais individualista. A análise temática desenvolvida no estudo qualitativo identificou a presença das cinco principais características da AE e sua dimensão oposta, Foco nos outros, na amostra. Indivíduos de NSE alto descreveram uma transição para a vida adulta em harmonia com o que é observado em outros países industrializados. Indivíduos de NSE baixo apresentaram uma tendência diferente. A oportunidade de serem Focados em si mesmos e investirem na Exploração de sua identidade aconteceriam após um período de Foco nos outros. / The present study investigated the transition to adulthood in Southern Brazilians from differing SES and aimed to examine whether or not the phenomenon of EA exists in the country. The sample included 547 individuals; residents in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, between 18 and 29 years old (M = 22 years; IQR = 19-26), 196 (35.8%) males, and 351 (64.2%) females, of low (n = 194, 35.5%) and high SES (n = 353, 64.5%). The first set of studies was composed of univariate and multivariate statistical analysis (Factor Analysis, MANCOVA, and Moderatared Multiple Regressions). The inventories examined, IDEA and FESA, presented a new factor structure, associated with Brazilian contextual influences and the necessity of reviewing the original measures. The EA phenomenon was more likely to be present in HSES contexts in Brazil. The LSES group trend to assuming adult responsibilities earlier blocks their opportunities of exploring diverse fields. The dimension Self-focused in the Southern Brazilian sample was associated with participants’ gradual process of building a foundation to adulthood, and also with a more individualistic orientation. The thematic analysis developed in the qualitative study identified the presence of the five main EA features and its counterpart, Other-focused in the sample. HSES individuals were more likely to experience the EA features in harmony with this transition in industrialized countries. LSES individuals presented a divergent trend. Their opportunity to be Self-focused and invest in their Identity Exploration would happen after an Other-focused period.

Submitted by Oliveira Santos Dilzaná (dilznana@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-05-06T12:41:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Quele de Souza Gomes Santos.pdf: 996061 bytes, checksum: fe62269601dbabb818880759138ef74d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Oliveira Santos Dilzaná (dilznana@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-05-11T13:38:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Quele de Souza Gomes Santos.pdf: 996061 bytes, checksum: fe62269601dbabb818880759138ef74d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-11T13:38:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Quele de Souza Gomes Santos.pdf: 996061 bytes, checksum: fe62269601dbabb818880759138ef74d (MD5) / O envolvimento paterno é um fenômeno complexo, influenciado por fatores individuais, contextuais e culturais, porém, existem controvérsias acerca do impacto desses fatores sobre a forma como o pai participará das atividades e cuidados que envolvem a criança. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar o envolvimento paterno em pais de diferentes níveis socioeconômicos: nível socioeconômico alto, médio e baixo. Esperava-se que os pais de nível socioeconômico alto apresentassem maiores níveis de envolvimento paterno do que os pais de nível socioeconômico médio que, por sua vez, apresentariam maior níveis de envolvimento paterno do que os pais de nível socioeconômico baixo. Participaram do estudo 81 pais de crianças entre 4 e 6 anos de idade, de ambos os sexos, recrutados em escolas, organizações públicas e privadas da cidade do Salvador. Os pais foram divididos em três grupos de níveis socioeconômicos (NSE): NSE baixo (n= 31), NSE médio (n= 21) e NSE alto (n= 29). Para mensurar o envolvimento paterno foi utilizado o Questionário de Engajamento Paterno (QEP) e para avaliar o status socioeconômico da família foi utilizada a Escala Hollingshead (1975). A análise dos dados foi realizada através de procedimentos estatísticos descritivos e dos testes correlação de Pearson, ANOVA, ANCOVA e Kruskal-Wallis. Os resultados não indicaram diferenças entre os três grupos de NSE, exceto na dimensão cuidados básicos. Contudo, foram identificadas correlações positivas entre a escolaridade materna e paterna, a renda familiar, a idade paterna e materna e a dimensão cuidados básicos, bem como entre a escolaridade paterna e materna e escore total do QEP. Adicionalmente, foi encontrada uma correlação positiva entre a carga horária de trabalho semanal materna e a dimensão disciplina, assim como correlações negativas entre a quantidade de pessoas que moravam na casa e o envolvimento do pai em atividades de suporte emocional e jogos físico. Apesar de o nível socioeconômico enquanto variável composta por diferentes indicadores combinados, não impactar diretamente na maior parte das dimensões do envolvimento paterno, os componentes específicos do NSE como escolaridade, renda e carga horária de trabalho semanal materna, foram variáveis relevantes para a compreensão do envolvimento paterno. Ressalta-se a importância de se continuar investigando o papel do pai, bem como as crenças e mecanismos culturais que podem mediar as diferentes formas com que os homens têm vivenciado novas atribuições no contexto familiar. Paternal involvement is a complex phenomenon, influenced by personal, contextual and cultural factors; however, there are controversies about the impact of these factors on how fathers participate in activities and care involving the child. In this way, the goal of this study was to characterize the involvement of fathers in families with different socioeconomic status: low, middle and high. It was expected that high socioeconomic fathers related to higher levels of parental involvement than middle socioeconomic fathers, who, in turn, related to higher levels of parental involvement than low socioeconomic fathers. In this study, participated 81 fathers of children from four to six years old, from both sexes, recruited in public and private schools in the city of Salvador, Bahia. The fathers were divided into three groups of socioeconomic status (SES): low SES (n= 31), middle SES (n= 21) and high SES (n= 29). The Paternal Engagement Questionnaire (PEQ) was used to measure the father’s involvement, and the Hollingdshead Scale (1975) was used to measure the socioeconomic status of the family. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics procedures and the Pearson correlation tests, ANOVA, ANCOVA and Kruskal-Wallis. Results show no differences in the groups, with the exception of the dimension basic care. Nevertheless, it was identified positive correlations between the age and education of the mother and the father, the income and the dimension basic care, as well as mother’s and father’s education and the total score on PEQ. Additionally, it was found a positive correlation between the mother’s weekly workload and the dimension discipline, as well as negative correlations between the number of individuals living in the house and the father’s involvement in emotional support activities and physical games. Although the socioeconomic status, as a variable composed by different factors combined, constituted as a factor with no influence in the majority of the father’s involvement dimensions, specific components from the SES, such as education, income and mother’s weekly workload, contributed as important variables for understanding the father’s involvement. The importance to continue investigating the role of the father is emphasized, as well as the beliefs and cultural influences that may play a mediator role on the different ways men have experienced new attributions in the family context. Key-words:

O presente estudo investigou a transição para a vida adulta em jovens de diferentes níveis socioeconômicos (NSE) no sul do Brasil, e objetivou identificar a existência ou não do fenômeno chamado adultez emergente (AE) no sul país. A amostra foi composta de 547 jovens, residentes em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, entre 18 e 29 anos (M = 22 anos; IQ = 19-26), 196 (35,8%) homens, e 351 (64.2%) mulheres; de NSE baixo (n = 194, 35.5%) e alto (n = 353, 64,5%). O primeiro conjunto de estudos foi composto por análises estatísticas uni e multivariadas (Análise Fatorial, MANCOVA, e Regressões Múltiplas Moderadas). Os inventários examinados, IDEA e FESA, apresentaram nova estrutura fatorial, associadas a influências do contexto brasileiro e à necessidade de revisão das medidas originais. A AE mostrou-se mais provável de ocorrer em contextos de NSE alto. O grupo de NSE baixo apresentou tendência a assumir responsabilidades adultas precocemente, o que dificulta a experimentação de um período mais exploratório de suas identidades. A dimensão Foco em si mesmo na amostra brasileira foi associada com o processo gradual dos participantes construírem uma base para sua vida adulta; e também a uma orientação mais individualista. A análise temática desenvolvida no estudo qualitativo identificou a presença das cinco principais características da AE e sua dimensão oposta, Foco nos outros, na amostra. Indivíduos de NSE alto descreveram uma transição para a vida adulta em harmonia com o que é observado em outros países industrializados. Indivíduos de NSE baixo apresentaram uma tendência diferente. A oportunidade de serem Focados em si mesmos e investirem na Exploração de sua identidade aconteceriam após um período de Foco nos outros. / The present study investigated the transition to adulthood in Southern Brazilians from differing SES and aimed to examine whether or not the phenomenon of EA exists in the country. The sample included 547 individuals; residents in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, between 18 and 29 years old (M = 22 years; IQR = 19-26), 196 (35.8%) males, and 351 (64.2%) females, of low (n = 194, 35.5%) and high SES (n = 353, 64.5%). The first set of studies was composed of univariate and multivariate statistical analysis (Factor Analysis, MANCOVA, and Moderatared Multiple Regressions). The inventories examined, IDEA and FESA, presented a new factor structure, associated with Brazilian contextual influences and the necessity of reviewing the original measures. The EA phenomenon was more likely to be present in HSES contexts in Brazil. The LSES group trend to assuming adult responsibilities earlier blocks their opportunities of exploring diverse fields. The dimension Self-focused in the Southern Brazilian sample was associated with participants’ gradual process of building a foundation to adulthood, and also with a more individualistic orientation. The thematic analysis developed in the qualitative study identified the presence of the five main EA features and its counterpart, Other-focused in the sample. HSES individuals were more likely to experience the EA features in harmony with this transition in industrialized countries. LSES individuals presented a divergent trend. Their opportunity to be Self-focused and invest in their Identity Exploration would happen after an Other-focused period.

Contexte : Les interventions cliniques pour les patients avec multimorbidité sont complexes et l'effet du statut socioéconomique sur ces interventions est limité. Nous avons analyser l'effet d'une intervention multidisciplinaire chez des patients avec multimorbidité et l'effet du statut socioéconomique (SSÉ) sur les résultats de l'intervention. Méthodologie : Analyse secondaire de données d'une intervention multidisciplinaire pragmatique randomisée-contrôlée de patients avec maladies chroniques. Patients recrutés dans 8 cliniques médicales de première ligne. Les patients avec trois maladies chroniques et plus ou leurs facteurs de risques ont été analysés. Issu primaire : changement substantiel dans un des huit domaines du Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ). Le statut socioéconomique (SSÉ) des participants a été mesuré au début de l'intervention. Une collecte de données additionnelles a été faite pour mesurer l'autoappréciation de la situation financière des participants. Des régressions logistiques univariées et multivariées ont été utilisées. Résultats : 281 participants ont été analysés, avec une moyenne de 5,5 maladies chroniques. 13.5% avaient un revenu annuel de moins de 20,000$ et 51% avaient un diplôme d'études secondaires ou moins. En analyses univariées, l'intervention a amélioré le heiQ dans 6 domaines (RC : 1.96-2.91, p<0,05). En contrôlant pour le SSÉ, le OR de quatre domaines a augmenté incluant un domaine qui est devenu statistiquement significatif (Positive and active engagement in life). Conclusion : L'intervention a été efficace pour améliorer les résultats du heiQ chez des patients avec multimorbidité. Après avoir corrigé pour le SSÉ, quatre domaines se sont améliorés, suggérant que le SSÉ avait un effet négatif sur les résultats. / Abstract : Background : Successful interventions for patients with multimorbidity are complex and the known impact of the socioeconomic status (SES) on these interventions is limited. We analyzed the effect of a multidisciplinary intervention on patients with multimorbidity and the effect of the SES on the results of the intervention. Methods : Secondary data analysis of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial relating to a multidisciplinary intervention on patients with chronic diseases in 8 primary care practices in Quebec, Canada. Participants with three or more chronic conditions or risk factors were included in the analysis. Primary outcome: self-management improvement assessed by a substantial change in one of the eight domains of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ). Socioeconomic Status (SES) of participants was measured at baseline. Self-perceived financial status was also collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used. Results : 281 participants were included in the analysis, with a mean 5.5 chronic conditions or risk factors. 13.5% had an annual income <20,000$ and 51% had an high school degree or less. In the univariate analysis, the intervention improved 6 domains of the heiQ (RC : 1.96-2.91, p<0,05). After controlling for SES, the OR of 4 domains improved, including a domain that became statistically significant (Positive and active engagement in life). Interpretation : The intervention was effective at improving self-management of patients with multimorbidity. After correction for SES, the OR of domains improved, suggesting the SES had a negative effect on the results.