Sex Differences in the Associations Among Parenting, Socioeconomic Status, and Error Monitoring Among Adolescents

Abstract

The error-related negativity (ERN) is a frontocentral deflection in the human EEG that is sensitive to error commission. Past research indicates that the ERN is modulated by individual differences in socioeconomic status (SES) and parenting style; however, there is limited research examining sex-differences in how these factors influence the ERN. The present study aimed to elucidate the relations among SES, parenting style, sex, and the ERN. In this study, 176 participants from a relatively large longitudinal study performed a Flanker task at age 15 years to measure the ERN. At the same assessment time, parenting style was assessed via parent report using the Parenting Styles and Dimension Questionnaire (PSDQ). Parents reported on their highest level of education which was used as an indicator of household SES. Authoritarian and permissive parenting scores each significantly moderated the relation between maternal education and ERN amplitudes, but in both cases this moderation differed by child sex. There were no significant direct associations between maternal education and ERN amplitude or between parenting scores and ERN amplitude. Overall, findings may suggest sex differences in the impact of social context on error monitoring development. This study highlights (1) that parenting behaviors may modulate the impact of SES on cognitive control and and (2) the importance of considering sex differences when examining the interplay between SES, parenting, and cognitive control.