bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The parental support networks of mothers and fathers: A multidimensional approach
Authors: Melson Gail F. , Hsu Hui‐Chin , Ladd Gary W. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThis paper argues for a multidimensional approach to the study of the social support networks of mothers and fathers of young children. Network structure (e. g. size, density, member characteristics), support content (e. g. emotional, informational, economic and child care) and support quality (e. g. helpfulness, satisfaction with support, conflict associated with support and willingness to access support in future need) are distinguished. The goals of the study were: (1) to empirically test the multidimensionality of parental support networks; (2) to assess the relations among these three dimensions for mothers and for fathers; and (3) to examine how couples' support networks are interrelated. Individual at‐home interviews were conducted with 100 parents to derive measures of parental support structure, content and quality. Fathers (N = 31) were compared to their spouses (N = 31) and to a comparison group of demographically similar married mothers (N = 38). For all three groups, the same three predicted dimensions emerged in the factor structure of their networks; in general, few gender differences were found. However, relations among structure, content and quality differed by gender, with network structure predicting support content and quality only for mothers. The network structure of couples was positively correlated, and overlap in network members was related to own and spouse's network helpfulness, satisfaction and child care support.
Infant–mother social referencing interactions: Description and antecedents in maternal sensitivity and infant irritability
Authors: Hagekull Berit , Stenberg Gunilla , Bohlin Gunilla 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to describe naturally occurring infant and maternal behaviours in terms of social referencing in a stranger wariness situation, and to explore antecedents to such behaviouts in early maternal sensitivity and infant irritability. One hundred and ten 10‐months‐old infants and their mothers were videotaped. Infant social referencing behaviour was defined as puzzled looks directed at mother's face after the infant had discovered the stranger. Almost half of the infants looked with a puzzled expression at their mothers immediately after discovering the stranger, and a majority of the mothers sent a positive message back to the infants. Twenty per cent of the infants never looked at their mothers and 20% of the mothers did not respond when their infants turned to them. Infants whose mothers had responded positively to the referencing look showed positive responses to the stranger to a higher degree than infants who did not reference or those who were not responded to. Antecedents to infant and mother interactive behaviours were sought in maternal sensitivity (general sensitivity, physical contact, responsiveness, intrusiveness, response to distress, and effectiveness in comforting) and in infant irritability as observed when the infants were 4 months old. It was found that infants who did not reference their mothers for information at 10 months had experienced less sensitive mothering 6 months earlier and had also shown more irritability.
Prenatal discrimination of a male and a female voice uttering the same sentence
Authors: Lecanuet J.‐P. , Granier‐Deferre C. , Jacquet A.‐Y. , Capponi I. , Ledru L. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractUsing a habituation/dishabituation procedure, near‐term foetuses (36‐39 weeks gestational age) were tested in a low variability HR state, to examine whether they could discriminate between a male and a female voice repeatedly uttering the same short sentence. Prosody and loudness of the two voices were controlled. Once the foetal heart rate (HR) habituated to the first voice, the effect of a second voice was investigated in two experimental conditions: male/female voice and female/male voice. HR variations after the onset of the second voice were compared to those occurring in two control conditions in which the same voice was presented twice (male/female voice and female/female voice). Highly conservative statistical criteria taking each subject's pre‐stimulus HR variability into account showed that most foetuses exposed to the voice change displayed decelerative cardiac changes, with no significant difference between the two conditions. These HR decelerations were found in the first seconds following the onset of the new voice, and reached their peak amplitude within 10 s in most subjects. These responses lasted more than 10 s for two‐thirds of the experimental subjects. Mostly transient HR accelerations and only a few decelerative changes were recorded in the control subjects. Furthermore, mean amplitudes of these changes were significantly lower than the HR decelerations induced by the new voice in the experimental conditions, suggesting that the latter were not spontaneous HR modifications but rather cardiac responses to the voice change. It is argued that near‐term foetuses may perceive a difference between voice characteristics of two speakers when they are highly contrasted for fundamental frequency and timbre.
Melodies in caregivers' speech: A species‐specific guidance towards language
Authors: Papoušek Mechthild 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe author reports on a series of integrated studies on melodic contours in infant‐directed (ID) speech. ID melodies in speech are taken as an instructive example of intuitive parenting in order to review current evidence on its forms, functions and determinants. The forms and functions of melodic prototypes are compared in terms of universal properties and individual and/or cultural variability across samples of German, Chinese and American mothers, and German mothers and fathers with their 2‐ and 3‐month‐old infants. Microanalyses of interactional contexts show that forms and functions of ID melodies are intimately related to typical dimensions of intuitive caregiving–arousing/soothing, turnyielding/turn‐closing, approving/disapproving. The communicative functions of ID melodies as both categorical and graded signals are discussed with respect to the current knowledge on infant responses to ID speech and on early speech perception. According to a comprehensive longitudinal study of ID speech in relation to stages of infant vocalization, ID speech results from fine‐tuned adjustments in various prosodic and linguistic features to developmental changes in infants' perceptual and vocal competence. ID melodies evidently have the potential to draw infant attention to caregivers' speech, to regulate arousal and affect in infants, to provide models for imitation, to guide infants in practising communicative subroutines and to mediate linguistic information. Current evidence suggests that the melodies in caregivers' speech provide a species‐specific guidance towards language acquisition.
Evolutionary roots of intuitive parenting: Maternal competence in chimpanzees
Authors: Bard Kim A. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractIntuitive parenting behaviours have been shown to be universal in humans and appear to be based on psychobiological preadaptedness. This study is an exploration of the evolutionary roots of intuitive parenting through naturalistic observation of mother chimpanzees' interaction with their very young infants. Maternal competence is demonstrated initially through the behaviours of carrying the newborn infant and allowing the infant to nurse. Very early mother–infant interactions include play, ‘exercise’, cradling and grooming. Chimpanzee mothers also assess their offspring's behavioural state and muscle tone through visual inspections and movement of legs, arms, fingers and toes. Chimpanzee mothers and infants, as early as 2 weeks of age, spend some time in mutual gaze. Neonatal chimpanzees are capable of sustained face‐to‐face interactions, as these were observed in nursery‐reared chimpanzee interactions with human adults; however, it appears that chimpanzee mothers encourage mutual gaze with their infants for only brief durations. Chimpanzees with good maternal competence exhibit sensitive responsivity to infants' communicatory signals. Thus the results of this study support the claim that there are evolutionary and comparative foundations of intuitive parenting evident in the maternal behaviour and maternal competence of chimpanzees.
Eye contact and vocal responsiveness in squirrel monkey infants and their caregivers
Authors: Biben Maxeen 
Published: June 2007

AbstractSeventeen newborn squirrel monkeys, housed socially with their mothers and other adult females, were observed during their first 10 days of life. As early as day 1, infants began responding, vocally as well as by eye contact, to vocalizations and gaze directed to them by mothers and allomothers (aunts). Visual contact appeared always to be initiated by the adults. Infants spent less than 4% of awake time in eye contact with adults, but most infant‐directed vocalizing occurred during these episodes, when both mothers and allomothers greatly increased their rate of calling. Infants were more likely to respond to vocalizations directed to them while in eye contact; 72% of infants' responsive vocalizing occurred then. These data are compared to those for human mothers and infants, where eye contact has also been shown to stimulate vocal exchange. A functional explanation of the involvement of allomothers, based on the infant's clinging position, is discussed.
Communication in preterm infants: Why is it different?
Authors: Van Beek Yolanda , Samson Janny F. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe present paper selectively reviews the literature which compares full‐term and preterm infants' communication with their mothers in the first year of life. The review is focused not only on what differences are found between full‐term and preterm infants, but also why such differences exist. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of interpreting the findings in the light of the developmental phase of the infants, the heterogeneity of the preterm population and the situation in which communication is studied. Most studies were not designed to consider these issues in any detail. Differences with respect to these factors can be found between studies, however, which may have contributed to the often contradictory findings. Consequently, comparisons between these studies provide clues about the effects of these factors on communicative development. The ultimate goal of this review is to point to important directions for future research on early communication in preterm infants.
The effect of situation familiarity on the establishment of co‐references between mother and infant
Authors: Danis Agnès , Saules Robert 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine whether the familiarity or the novelty of play objects available during mother‐infant interaction has an effect on the mother's ability to capture and maintain the infant's attention. Twelve mother‐infant dyads with 5‐ and 9‐month‐old infants were filmed during two 5‐minute sessions with familiar or unfamiliar toys. Changes in the infant's visual orientation preceded by a maternal behaviour within a 3‐sec interval were studied. In the familiar toy situation, the infants focused more frequently on the maternal referent than with the unfamiliar toys. The mother's verbal and non‐verbal interventions were more effective at initiating and maintaining co‐reference, because the infant was more frequently in an receptive state. Conversely, when the toys were unfamiliar, the baby was often the initiator. Unfamiliar objects, which appear more attractive, may compete with the mother's attempts to gain the child's attention.
A typical interaction behaviour between fathers and toddlers: Teasing
Authors: Labrell Florence 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this article is threefold. First, it presents teasing behaviours towards the infant through the notion of ‘expectancy violation’, and defines what parental teasing may consist of. Secondly, the paper summarizes empirical data which show that teasing concerns more paternal than maternal behaviours. Thirdly, we speculate about a positive impact of this kind of typical paternal behaviour on cognitive and social development, as it introduces novelty and ambiguity, which must be processed, as well as negotiation of a struggle.
Interaction between mother and pre‐term infant at 34 weeks post‐conceptional age
Authors: Eizirik Lígia S. , Bohlin Gunilla , Hagekull Berit 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe impact of premature birth and perinatal medical status on early mother–infant interaction was assessed in 75 dyads with pre‐term infants divided into three groups. Infants' gestational age at birth and need for neonatal intensive care intervention differentiated the groups: group 1, 23–31 weeks with intensive care; group 2, 32–35 weeks with intensive care; group 3, 32–35 weeks with no intensive care. The methodological approach was based on observations of the dyads performed when the infant reached a post. conceptional age of 34 weeks (4 weeks before estimated due date of delivery). The observations were conducted in the neonatal nursery during cleaning, face‐to‐face and feeding interactions. Significant group differences were found in infant distress, maternal sensitivity to the infant and dyadic behaviours of positive interaction. Group 1 dyads showed higher scores or more desirable performance than dyads of group 3. Group 2 dyads usually achieved intermediate scores and performed better than dyads of group 3, especially during the feeding situation. We suggest that, in addition to a possible emergence of maternal compensatory mechanisms in the higher‐risk groups, the amount of dyadic experience after birth affects the quality of mother–infant interaction at this early stage.
Evaluation of an islandwide screening, assessment and treatment program
Authors: Scarr Sandra , McCartney Kathleen , Miller Shari , Hauenstein Emily , Ricciuti Anne 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThis article reports on the effectiveness of the Islandwide Screening, Assessment, and Treatment Program of the Child Development Project in Bermuda. From 1982 to 1984, approximately 1100 families with 2‐year‐old children were screened for children's cognitive and language delay, for behaviour management problems and for other home characteristics that put children at risk for later school failure. Children who failed the screening and subsequent assessment procedures (of whom random samples received treatment) and samples of others who passed screening and assessment were evaluated from 1984 to 1986 at 4 years of age. This article focuses on the results of the cognitive and language programs; the more problematic behaviour management analyses were reported elsewhere (Miller and Scarr, 1988). The screening procedures and assessment measures developed for this project were themselves evaluated and adjusted to maximize efficiency and costeffectiveness. The screening and assessment procedures proved effective in bringing to the attention of the Child Development Project those families and children who need developmental services, and in not overidentifying normal children as potentially delayed in development. Two kinds of treatment services were compared: The Mother‐Child Home Program (MCHP), administered by paraprofessional toy demonstrators, and other interventions tailored by professionals to the language and cognitive problems of the child (called ‘tailored programs’). Children who were not extremely delayed or disturbed were randomly assigned either to the MCHP or to a tailored program. Neither intervention program was preferable to the other. Even though improved, the 4‐year‐olds identified as developmentally delayed at 24 months still lagged behind children who passed all parts of screening and those who failed screening but passed assessment 2 years earlier. The screening and assessment procedures were very effective in the early identification of children with developmental problems, but the treatment programs failed to bring most children to normal levels of cognitive and language functioning.
Early behaviour and its relation to behaviour at 3 years
Authors: Dittrichová J. , Paul K. , Sobotková D. , Tautermannová M. , Vondráček J. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractIn 34 healthy 1‐month‐old infants sleep, waking, crying and conditioning were analysed in detail. Intellectual functioning and coping with an unfamiliar situation were assessed at the age of 3 years. Likewise, the social environment including mother‐infant interaction was considered. The majority of sleep and waking parameters assessed during the first month did not correlate with outcome data at 3 years. Rather, it was those concerning conditioning at 1 month that significantly correlated with coping in an unfamiliar situation at 3 years, a finding in accordance with neurophysiological concepts concerning stimulus sensitivity. More sensitive infants at 1 month had problems in coping with an unfamiliar situation at 3 years. In the light of these results we suggest that factors related to central nervous system processes play a role in coping with unfamiliar situations.
Maternal depressed mood and stress as related to vigilance, self‐efficacy and mother‐child interactions
Authors: Fox Cathie Radin , Gelfand Donna M. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractParenting self‐efficacy, maternal vigilance, competence and child behaviour were studied in a community sample of mothers of 18‐36‐month‐old children. Thirty dysphoric mothers had elevated Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores (12–16) and 30 nondysphoric mothers had BDIs <5. Dysphoric mothers were more stressed, less happily married, less effective as parents and described their children as less competent and responsive than did non‐dysphoric mothers. When completing a distracting questionnaire task, all mothers were less vigilant and their children less well behaved than during free play. Stressed, dysphoric mothers were observed to be less sensitive, responsive, warm, vigilant and effective in controlling their children, and their children were more destructive, and less happy, responsive and compliant. Combined maternal stress and dysphoria were associated with generally negative perceptions of self and child, and negative mother‐child interactions.
A North American perspective on the psychological maltreatment of children
Authors: Fortin Andrée , Chamberland Claire 
Published: June 2007

AbstractPsychological maltreatment may be the most common form of abuse suffered by North American children within the family environment. However, little effort has been directed towards eliminating and preventing it. The present article emphasizes the importance of thoroughly understanding the phenomenon so that effective intervention strategies can be developed. North American research studies of child maltreatment are reviewed and discussed with particular emphasis placed upon the manifestations of psychological maltreatment, the scope and the consequences of the problem, and the identification of associated risk factors. The paper identifies several areas for improvement before successful interventions can be conceptualized.
Cross‐sectional study of coordination between infants' gaze and vocalizations towards their mothers
Authors: D'Odorico L. , Cassibba R. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe study aimed at providing more precise information about infants' capacity to coordinate their vocalizations with gaze towards their mothers. A total of 32 infants were observed, four boys and four girls in each of four age groups (4, 6, 8 and 10 months), in an observational setting aimed at minimizing infants' casual looks to their mothers. Videotapes of mother‐infant‐toy interactions were coded separately for infants' vocalizations and gaze towards their mothers, and the difference between observed and expected cooccurrence of these two communicative behaviours was evaluated by transfromation into z‐scores. Results indicate that only at 10 months of age do infants develop the ability to coordinate vocalizations and gazes towards mother. Moreover, more competent subjects show temporal relationships between gaze and vocalizations different from those observed in less competent subjects.
The interpretation of discrepancies in multimethod research: A comparison of children's negotiations in two research contexts
Authors: Leonard Rosemary 
Published: June 2007

AbstractAlthough multimethod research has a large number of advocates, problems arise in the interpretation of any discrepancies between results. This paper identifies three approaches to their interpretation: hierarchical validity, cross‐validity and triangulation. The first assumes that methods can be ranked in order of validity so that lower ranking methods can be validated against higher ranking methods. The second assumes there is no hierarchy and that multiple methods are desirable to overcome the weaknesses in any one method and, further, that only results obtained from more than one method should be given credence. The third position, which differs from the others in that it arises from a constructionist rather than a positivist framework, holds that multimethods are valuable because of the different insights they produce and focuses attention on the need to examine methods in terms of their contribution in the context of a particular theory. These approaches are discussed in reference to results for children's negotiations from mothers' reports versus those from a quasi‐experimental puppets task.
Development of a pleasure in parenting scale
Authors: Fagot Beverly I. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractTwo major components of parenting have been identified: warmth and control. There has been a great deal of work on the measurement of control, but there are not many measures of parental warmth. As part of an attempt to develop better measures of warmth, we developed a scale measuring parents' pleasure in carrying out routine caretaking acts with their children. This measure was then related to other measures of positive support such as observation, observer ratings and questionnaires. As there is evidence in the literature that quality of the environment interacts with parenting, we related the measure to measures of stress, observer ratings of quality of the home, marital interaction and parental mood. Finally, we examined the relation of child variables (attachment classification, temperament rating and observed behaviours) to the parents' ratings of pleasure in the child.
Parenting in Hawaii: Three cultural groups at the beach
Authors: Martini Mary 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThis study shows systematic differences in parenting behaviour across three cultural groups in Hawaii. Japanese‐, Caucasian‐ and Hawaiian‐American parents (N =149) are observed as they interact with their young children at the beach. The observed families come to the beach in different groupings. Hawaiian groups are the largest, many consisting of five or more people. Most Japanese families resemble the ‘typical’ nuclear family: two parents and one or two children. More Caucasian and Hawaiian parents come to the beach alone with their children than do Japanese‐American parents. Parents in the three groups spend their time differently. Japanese‐American parents focus almost exclusively on their children. They play with, watch or take care of them for most of the observed time. They rarely engage in solitary activities, such as reading or sunbathing, or in social activities, such as talking with each other. Caucasian parents engage in solitary activities more frequently. They encourage children to entertain and care for themselves. Hawaiian parents interact extensively with other adults, and Hawaiian children play among themselves without prompting. The Hawaiian parents interact less frequently with their children than do parents in the other groups. These findings are discussed in terms of cultural differences in views of the parenting role, the range of people socializing children and childrearing emphases on independence vs dependence, aloneness vs social involvement and innovation vs imitation.