''Hey mom, look at me!''

Author(s): McLean, W. E.

Journal/Book: Infant Behav Develop. 1997; 20: 55 Old Post Rd NO.2, PO Box 5297, Greenwich, CT 06831-0504. Ablex Publ Corp. 515-529.

Abstract: The degree to which infant and maternal characteristics were related to maternal psychological distress and play competence was examined in 40 mother preterm and full-term dyads. Measures of maternal psychological distress, self-efficacy, infant temperament, and mother-infant interaction in a play situation, were obtained at 4 months corrected for prematurity. Results revealed that maternal self-efficacy was the strongest correlate of maternal psychological distress but was not related to maternal play competence. Interaction effects for unadaptable temperament and infant behavioral involvement were found in the regressions predicting both maternal psychological distress and maternal play competence. Mothers of more adaptable and less behaviorally involved infants reported greater psychological distress and exhibited greater play competence than mothers of more adaptable and involved infants. The results suggest that a lack of concordance between mothers' perceptions of their infants' behavior and actual behavioral experiences adversely affects mothers' affect and the quality of their play interactions.

Note: Article Halpern LF, SUNY Albany, Dept Psychol, Social Sci 112, Albany,NY 12222 USA

Keyword(s): temperament; psychological distress; mother-infant interaction; infants; self-efficacy; FULL-TERM INFANTS; PRETERM INFANTS; POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; 1ST YEAR; INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES; MATERNAL PERCEPTIONS; SOCIAL SUPPORT; SELF-EFFICACY; TEMPERAMENT; MOTHERS

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