Development of working memory through childhood: The interplay of family socioeconomic status and parenting behaviors

This study examined the interplay between family socioeconomic status (SES) and parenting behaviors on the developmental trajectory of working memory (WM) from kindergarten to the fifth grade. Using latent growth modeling with data on 15,437 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11(ECLS-K:2011), we revealed that higher SES was associated with better initial WM, slower WM growth rate, and hysteretic deceleration in WM development. Cognitive stimulation moderated the association between SES and WM development. Parental warmth and spanking did not moderate the association between SES and WM development. These findings highlight the importance of cognitive stimulation in buffering the adverse impacts of low SES on WM development. The findings have implications for the design of interventions to foster cognitive competence in children from disadvantaged backgrounds.