Relations between social contingency in mother-child interaction and 2-year-olds' social competence

Journal/Book: Develop Psychol. 1996; 32: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Amer Psychological Assoc. 850-859.

Abstract: This study examined relations between social contingency in mother-child interaction and low-income 2-year-olds' social competence, using a cross-sectional design (N = 47). Measures of social contingency included time spent in joint attention and dyadic turn-taking behaviors following maternal bids. Measures of child social competence included emotional self-regulation during a delay-of-gratification task and empathic responsiveness toward an experimenter Feigning injury Social contingency was related to children's use of self-regulatory strategies, but not to empathic responsiveness. Child negative emotionality and gender contributed to explanations of children's self-regulatory strategy use. More emotionally negative children spent less time using self-distraction; girls used less self-distraction and more comfort-seeking during delay than did boys. However, time spent in joint attention made an additional independent contribution over and above child factors.

Note: Article CC Raver, Cornell Univ, Coll Human Ecol, Dev & Family Studies, Mvr Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA

Keyword(s): RICAN ADOLESCENT MOTHERS; GENDER DIFFERENCES; SOCIALIZATION; EMOTIONS; INFANTS; ATTACHMENT; PRESCHOOL; BEHAVIOR; EMPATHY; FAMILY

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