THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF TIME OF FIRST HOLDING OF THE INFANT AND MATERNAL SELF-ESTEEM ON THE TIME OF DEVELOPMENT OF FEELINGS OF MATERNAL ATTACHMENT.
Contributors: New York University.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 127
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study investigated the relative effects of time of first holding of the infant and maternal self-esteem on the time of development of feelings of maternal attachment to the infant. A voluntary sample of 67 mothers of 2-to-12 month old infants completed the self administered Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), the Maternal Information and Experiences Questionnaire (Troy, 1985), and the Maternal Feelings Questionnaire (Troy, 1985).

It was planned to test the hypothesis using multiple regression analysis with simultaneous inclusion but the data did not demonstrate linearity, therefore multiple regression was not used. The hypothesis was not supported. A chi-square goodness of fit test demonstrated a highly significant (p < .000) relationship between the time of first holding of the infant and the time of development of feelings of maternal attachment indicating that, for this study sample, the majority of mothers developed feelings of maternal attachment at the same time that they first held their infants (range 10 min to 24 hr) regardless of how soon after delivery they held their infants and their self-esteem scores (range 0 to 5; high to medium).

Because the hypothesis generated in this study was not supported no definite conclusions can be made. Recommendations for nursing practice were to continue to provide mothers with the opportunity for early contact with their infants, and to inform mothers, when appropriate, that it does not appear that immediate contact is essential for the development of feelings of maternal attachment.

Recommendations for future research included replication of this study changing the methodology to intensive interviews by a skilled interviewer; conduction of a longitudinal study of the development of fetal and infant attachment, and conduction of a longitudinal study comparing the prenatal expectations and actual postpartal feelings with regard to infant sex, infant behavior, and labor and delivery experiences.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: B, page: 4827.

Thesis (PH.D.)--NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 1986.

School code: 0146.