Scaffolding in family interactions and contextual risk: Isolating the influences of individuals versus dyads

Interpersonal scaffolding occurs when one family member “guides” another through an interaction, contributing to a synchronous and harmonious exchange (Feinberg et al, 2011). Experiencing high levels is associated with positive cognitive and socioemotional development (Kramer, 2010). However, due to methodological challenges, it is uncertain if the tendency to scaffold is a characteristic of individuals or is an emergent property of relationships (i.e. dyad-specific). Additionally, it is unclear if these patterns differ as a function of contextual risk. To address these issues, the current study employed a methodological technique known as the social relations model (Kenny et al, 2006) based on data from 376 families in two major Canadian cities. Dyads (sibling-sibling, mother-older child, and mother-younger child) were instructed to complete a developmentally challenging Lego-building task that was intended to elicit teaching, guidance and instruction from the older family member. Interactions were videotaped and scaffolding was coded by trained research assistants and graduate students. Analyses revealed significant individual effects, suggesting that some people provide and receive more scaffolding, on average, than others. However, even after adjusting for these individual effects, every relationship has a unique element. Finally, the effects of contextual risk largely influenced the individual contributions of mothers, whereby scaffolding levels of mothers towards all siblings were significantly lower in settings of risk. Findings suggest that family interactions are driven by the characteristics of individuals and the emergent properties of dyads. Moreover, the ability for mothers to promote harmonious exchanges appears particularly vulnerable to the effects of contextual risk.