Psychological Determinants of Optimism Regarding Consequences of the War

Gazing behavior of 10 three-month-old twin infants (five male and five female) and their mothers during play, bottle feeding, and spoon feeding activities were analyzed. Video-tape equipment was used in the home; data were gathered as naturalistically as possible. Mothers looked at infants for a greater percentage of the total time and for longer durations than infants looked at mothers. A consistency-activation personality theory in which mothers are highly motivated to gaze at infants, but infants seek visual interest by looking away from mother, is suggested to interpret the findings. Both looking and not-looking gazes and mean and median measures of central tendency were shown to be helpful and necessary for the gazing analysis.     

PTSD symptoms among tsunami exposed mothers in Sri Lanka: the role of disaster exposure,culturally specific coping strategies,and recovery efforts

Background and objectives: Women in Sri Lanka have been uniquely exposed to a complex and protracted set of stressors stemming from a civil war conflict spanning over 25 years and the tsunami which struck Southeast Asia in 2004. This study investigates coping strategies and their association with trauma-related symptoms of tsunami-exposed mothers in Sri Lanka at two time points.

Design: Data for this study come from surveys administered in two waves of data collection to investigate both mothers’ and adolescent children’s post-tsunami mental health in early 2005, three months after the tsunami struck, and again in 2008, three years later.

Methods: Latent-variable structural equation modeling was used to test the study hypotheses among 160 tsunami-affected mothers in the Polhena village, Matara district, Sri Lanka.

Results: Among the various coping strategies examined, the use of cultural rituals as well as inner psychological strength was associated with lower levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. In contrast, passive religious beliefs were associated with greater posttraumatic stress levels.

Conclusions: The results of this study reveal the differential associations of various coping strategies including rituals used by mothers exposed to the tsunami in Sri Lanka and their posttraumatic stress symptom levels.     

Parents’ reactions to children’s stuttering and style of coping with stress

PurposeThe aim of the research was to determine: (a) how parents react to their child’s stuttering, (b) what stress coping strategies they utilise, as well as (c) whether stress coping style depends on parents’ reaction to their child’s stuttering.MethodsThe research involved 23 mothers and 23 fathers of children who stutter (CWS) at the age of three to six years old. The Reaction to Speech Disfluency Scale (RSDS), developed by the authors, was used in the research. To determine the parents’ coping the Coping Inventory in Stressful Situations (CISS) by N.S. Endler and D.A Parker was applied.ResultsThe strongest reactions are observed on the cognitive level. Stronger cognitive, emotional and behavioural reactions are observed in the mothers towards their disfluently speaking sons and in the fathers towards their daughters. Having analysed the profiles of coping styles, it can be noticed that the task-oriented coping is most frequently adapted by the fathers. The mothers most often use the avoidance-oriented coping. No relevant correlation was observed between the fathers’ coping style and their reactions to the child’s disfluent speech. As far as the mothers are concerned, it has been proved that an increase in behavioural reactions correlates with the avoidance-oriented coping.ConclusionThe cognitive reactions of the parents’ towards their child’s stuttering were most frequent, while the emotional ones were the least frequent. Confronted with a stressful situation, the fathers most often adapt the task-oriented coping, whereas the mothers use the avoidance-oriented coping. Educational objectives: the reader will be able to (1) learn what the key reactions of parents to their children’s stuttering are, (2) describe stuttering as a stress factor for the parents, (3) describe the factors which influence parents’ reactions to their child’s stuttering and their coping style.     

2岁幼儿的社会朝向反应——本质及功能

本研究以66对17至32个月的幼儿和母亲为研究对象,研究了在实验室情境中,幼儿在不同实验情境下对母亲的社会朝向反应,并探讨了幼儿社会朝向行为的功能以及母亲的行为对幼儿社会朝向反应的影响。结果显示,（1）大多数幼儿在实验中都表现出了至少一次的社会朝向反应,社会朝向反应的发生是酱遍的;（2）在不同情境中,幼儿的社会朝向反应不同,在积极的情境中,社会朝向反应有分享情绪经历的功能;在抗拒诱惑的任务中,社会朝向行为与获得支持有关;（3）母亲对情境的非信息性反应对幼儿的社会朝向行为有影响,社会朝向是幼儿对社会情境的适应性行为,对这种非语言的情感交流行为的研究可以帮助我们探究幼儿情绪社会化的过程。     

Relationships between restrictive mother-child interactions and anxiety of the child

Abstract

The “two-process model” postulates that there are specific associations between patterns of parental child-rearing styles and the development of the child's anxiety and coping dispositions. Besides parameters of parental feedback to the child, this model considers support and restriction to be the central dimensions of child-rearing behavior. The present study aims at assessing behavioral indicators for restriction. For this purpose, the working and intervention behavior of 47 mothers and their ten- to 13-year-old children was observed and registered during a 15-minute period of common problem-solving (putting together a difficult puzzle-like cube). In order to register processes of problem-oriented cooperation between mother and child, transitional probabilities between defined state and event classes were analyzed. Based on the theoretical definition of the child-rearing style “restrictio”, hypotheses concerning the significance of variable transitional probabilities are formulated and tested regarding their correspondence with anxiety-related characteristics of the child.     

Seeing her looking at you: acquaintance and variation in the judgment of gaze depth

The acquaintance of subject and looker as well as the depth of gaze affected male subjects' judgments of a female assistant's looking behavior. In a situation ruling out visual interaction, eye-contact gazes were located no more accurately than other gazes. Nevertheless, although gaze depths were not accurately discriminated, gazes deviating vertically and horizontally, to the edge of the head and just beyond the head, were located with some accuracy. The pattern of errors was toward the head and away from the body. Acquaintance produces a stronger bias away from the body, and may produce other interaction-facilitating biases.     

Mathematical models for coordinated interpersonal timing in mother-infant interactions in the first year of life

Two mathematical models of social contingency are examined in terms of their development over the first year of life. The interactions of 53 mothers and their infants were recorded at 6 weeks, 4 months, and 12 months. The infants' gazes at 6 weeks, the mothers' vocal behavior at 6 weeks, and the vocal behavior of the mother and infant at 4 and 12 months were automatically coded in terms of four states. The conditional dependence model and the response effects model were computed for each interaction at each age, and the coefficients of the models were examined as a function of age. The relative success of the models as estimates of moment-to-moment contingency as well as their variations with age are discussed.     

Cognitive development in children of adolescent mothers: The impact of socioeconomic risk and maternal sensitivity

BackgroundAdolescent motherhood is accompanied by a constellation of risk factors that translate into developmental risk for the off-spring. Socioeconomic risk that is associated with adolescent motherhood as well as maternal interactive behaviors may contribute to the impact of adolescent motherhood on children’s developmental outcome.ObjectiveTherefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate differences in children’s cognitive development between children of adolescent and adult mothers in their first two years of life and to examine whether socioeconomic risk (e.g. such as educational and financial problems) and/or maternal sensitivity mediate developmental differences between children of adolescent and adult mothers.MethodsAdolescent mothers (<21 years; N = 64) and adult mothers (>25 years; N = 34) and their infants were included in the current study. Child cognitive development and maternal sensitivity were assessed at three different time points (T1: mean child age 5.26 months; T2: mean child age 14.69 months; T3: mean child age 21.16 months).ResultsChildren of adult mothers showed better cognitive performance at T3 compared to children of adolescent mothers but not at T1 and T2. A multiple mediation model including socioeconomic risk and maternal sensitivity as serial mediators demonstrated that the effect of adolescent motherhood on cognitive development was mediated in a causal effect chain with socioeconomic risk negatively affecting maternal sensitivity and maternal sensitivity affecting children’s cognitive development.DiscussionThe present findings demonstrate that maternal interactive behaviors are not only a simple predictor of cognitive development but may also act as a mediator of the association between more distal variables such as socioeconomic risk and cognitive development in adolescent mothers. This supports the need to promote prevention and intervention programs for adolescent mothers during the early postpartum period to reduce socioeconomic problems and enhance maternal interactive behaviors.     

Preterm birth and maternal sensitivity: Findings from a non-western country

IntroductionAlthough there are several studies on maternal sensitivity of preterm-born children conducted in Western countries, the factors affecting the sensitivity of mothers of preterm infants have not been investigated outside the Western context.ObjectivesThis study aimed to compare maternal sensitivity of preterm children at 18 months of corrected age with their healthy term-born peers and explore the factors associated with maternal sensitivity in a middle-income non-Western country. Moreover, the associations of maternal sensitivity with socio-demographic factors, maternal depression, and social-emotional competency and behavior problems of infants were investigated.MethodsIn total, 70 (40 preterm-born and 30 term-born) mother-child dyads participated in this study. An observation-based measurement tool, Maternal Sensitivity Scale, was used to assess maternal sensitivity. Social-emotional competency and behavior problems of infants were evaluated via The Turkish version of the Brief Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed via the Beck Depression Inventory. In addition, a demographic information form was filled out by the mothers.ResultsMaternal sensitivity scores of preterm infants were significantly lower compared to term infants. Depressive symptoms scores and employment status of mothers, socio-economic status (SES), gestational age, breastfeeding duration, and behavior problems of children were the factors related to maternal sensitivity scores. In hierarchical regression analysis, SES and gestational age were the strongest predictors of maternal sensitivity. After controlling SES and gestational age, maternal depressive symptoms scores negatively predicted maternal sensitivity scores.ConclusionThis study pointed out the factors associated with the maternal sensitivity of preterm infants outside the Western context. Interventions to improve sensitive parenting behaviors of preterm infants are needed, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged groups.     

Change in the Psychological Adjustment of Children with Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Disease and Their Mothers

Objectives: This study has three interrelated objectives: (1) to track the adjustment of children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) or cystic fibrosis (CF) and their mothers through a third assessment point 2 years after the initial assessment; (2) to determine whether the adaptational processes of the transactional stress and coping model associated with adjustment at the initial assessment continue to be associated with adjustment 2 years later; and (3) to determine whether the pattern of association of adaptational processes with adjustments differs by illness subgroup. Methods: The study samples included 59 children with CF and 50 children with SCD and their mothers. Measures were obtained on maternal adjustment and appraisals of daily and illness stress, coping methods, and family functioning. Child measures included child-reported and mother-reported child adjustment and child perceptions of self-worth and health locus of control and pain coping methods. Results: Consistency in adjustment classification was only 31–32% for child self-report, 66% for mother-reported child behavior problems, and 56–77% for mother self-reported adjustment for the CF and SCD groups, respectively. Support was provided for the association of adaptational processes with maternal adjustment and with the adjustment of children with SCD but not for children with CF. Conclusion: The stability of adjustment has implications for prevention and treatment intervention and subsequent research steps. Intervention efforts should be focused on the relatively small subgroups of children with chronic illnesses and their mothers with consistently poor adjustment.     

Cuban Mothers' Schemas of ADHD: Development, Characteristics, and Help Seeking Behavior

Parents play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one of the most prevalent developmental disorders of young children We report the findings of a qualitative study of Cuban-American mothers of 7 to 10 year old children with ADHD. Results suggest that mothers lacked a cultural model for ADHD and held a cultural model of normal child development which hampered their development of a schema of ADHD. Development of ADHD schemas were motivated by perplexity at their children's behavior and by the high value mothers ascribed to academic achievement. Although the schemas developed by the mothers were labeled as ADHD, their behavioral characterizations of their children, their attributions for the condition and for its causes, and their management strategies were not always in agreement with those of the biomedical model for the condition. However, once mothers classified their children's behavior as atypical, they actively sought assistance from the professional sector.     

Individual and Dyadic Coping and Fear of Progression in Mothers and Fathers of Children with Hematologic Cancer

This study investigated the association of individual and dyadic coping strategies with fear of progression (FoP) in mothers and fathers of children with hematologic cancer. Parental couples (N = 44) whose children had been diagnosed with hematologic cancer were recruited at a university hospital and a rehabilitation clinic in Germany between 03/2017 and 08/2017. Data included parents' self-report on FoP (Fear of Progression Questionnaire—parent version, FoP-Q-SF/PR), individual coping (Coping Health Inventory for Parents, CHIP-D), and dyadic coping (Dyadic Coping Inventory, DCI). Statistical analyses were carried out for mothers and fathers individually as well as for parental couples using dyadic data analyses (e.g., actor-partner interdependence model, APIM). Individual and dyadic coping strategies were significantly correlated with FoP in mothers, but not in fathers. Fathers' evaluation of the couple's dyadic coping significantly predicted mothers' FoP. The more frequent use of familial integration (CHIP-D FAM) and maintaining social support (CHIP-D SUP) as well as a better evaluation of their partners' dyadic coping was significantly associated with lower FoP in mothers. Differences in individual and dyadic coping in parental couples were not associated with FoP. Individual and dyadic coping strategies should be addressed in the psychosocial care of mothers and fathers of children with hematologic cancer. Study results support the benefits of involving fathers in psychosocial interventions, for example, in couple-based interventions that acknowledge interpersonal effects of coping on FoP. Future research should further explore coping strategies applied by fathers of children with hematologic cancer for the regulation of FoP.     

Coping and Positive Affect in Adolescents of Mothers With and Without a History of Depression

The adolescent children of depressed mothers are at increased risk for depression, but little is known about protective factors for these children. Maintenance of positive affect in a stressful context may be an important marker of resilience. Mothers with (n = 34) and without (n = 38) a history of depression and their adolescent children completed questionnaires regarding adolescents’ coping and depressive symptoms and engaged in a 15 min videotaped interaction about family stress. Adolescents’ observed behaviors were coded using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales. No significant differences emerged in observed behavior between adolescents of mothers with and without a history of depression. Higher levels of primary and secondary control coping and lower levels of disengagement coping were related to higher levels of observed positive mood and fewer depressive symptoms in adolescents. Observed positive mood was related to fewer depressive symptoms in adolescents, even after accounting for maternal history of depression and current maternal depressive symptoms. Results suggest the importance of considering positive affect in the context of family stress as a marker of resilience in adolescents at risk for depression. The current study provides evidence for coping as a protective factor, related to higher levels of positive affect and fewer depressive symptoms, in adolescents exposed to maternal depressive symptoms.     

Changes in patterns of Early Mother-Child Interaction: A longitudinal study of the first 18 months of life

ObjectiveThe main objective of the present longitudinal study is to describe the progression of early adult-child interactions between the first and second years of life. Changes identified in interactions are described, focusing on both the qualitative aspects of maternal responses, as well as maternal response latency to the child's behavior using a microanalytical methodology that collected data on maternal and child behavior in real-time without losing sight of the temporal dimension.ParticipantsThis study examined 52 mother-child dyads from intact families that presented no psychological, social, or biological risk factors at 6, 12 and 18 months of age.InstrumentCITMI-R (early mother-child interaction coding system, revised edition) was used to assess early mother-infant interactions during free play sessions between mother and child the.ResultsThe results indicate that some components of maternal sensitivity improve as children progress towards the second year of life, detecting an increase in sensitive maternal behavior and a decrease in intrusive behavior in the evolutive observed period; moreover, regarding latency of maternal response, we observed that mothers of older children give more time for their children to explore, which stimulates autonomy. Finally, the implication of these results for intervention directed to optimizing early adult-child interactions are addressed.     

Cross-sectional study of coordination between infants' gaze and vocalizations towards their mothers

The 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.     

Attention to repeated events in human infants (Homo sapiens): effects of joint visual attention versus stimulus change

The goal of this study was to examine the effect of joint visual attention on infants' behavior during subsequent events. Thirty-seven mother-infant (aged from 9 to 13 months) pairs were twice shown a pair of line drawing stimuli on a computer screen. For the control group, the mother never paid attention to the stimuli. For experimental group 1, the mother pointed to one stimulus in the first presentation but did not point to it in the second presentation. The infants gazed longer at the stimulus pointed to by their mothers in the first presentation. In the second presentation, during which mothers did not attend to the stimuli, infants gazed longer at the stimulus which had been pointed to by the mothers in the first presentation. In experimental group 2, one of two stimuli blinked during the first presentation but not the second presentation. Infants gazed for longer at the blinking stimulus in the first presentation, but there was no difference in looking time toward the two stimuli in the second presentation. These results suggest that joint visual attention affects infants' looking behavior during subsequent events, and that simple stimulus change does not. Accepted after revision: 2 May 2001 Electronic Publication     

Mothers' and fathers' coping with chronic childhood disease

Abstract

Mothers and fathers with a child with diabetes, asthma, cardiac conditions, epilepsy or leukaemia completed questionnaires to investigate their appraisal of disease-related difficulties and patterns of coping. There were differences both in appraised difficulties and coping patterns as a function of diagnostic group. In general, mothers who perceived more difficulties reported that it was helpful to cope by gaining disease-related knowledge. Fathers who perceived more difficulties reported it was more helpful to adopt strategies to enhance their own personal autonomy. Fathers who perceived more difficulties also reported that contact with medical staff was less helpful. Implications are discussed in terms of the differential implications of coping with chronic childhood diseases for mothers and fathers. Theoretical models need to take into account the differential demands of specific diseases in accounting for parents' stress appraisal and coping patterns.     

Type a behavior pattern in mothers of infants: An exploration of associations with attachment,sensitive caregiving,and life-events

Abstract

In the present study. 83 lower- to upper-middle class mothers of first-born, 12-month-old infants were interviewed with the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, and Main, 1985), and completed the Groninger Intelligence Test (Luteijn and Van der Ploeg, 1982). Eighteen months after the beginning of the study, 67 mothers (81% of the original sample) were interviewed with the Structured Interview (Rosenman, 1978), and were observed during a brief, semi-structured play session at home with their child - at that time a 2.5-years-old toddler. They also completed a checklist about major life-events that had occurred during the past 18 months. A large majority of these mothers of young children (81%) showed Type A behavior patterns. The job of parenting, indeed, appears to be stressful. Attachment and Type A behaviors, however, did not seem to be related, probably because the influence of attachment is restricted to the regulation of emotions in intimate relationships. Yet, Type A behavior predicted a more sensitive parenting style than Type B did. All mothers who experienced negative life-events or Serious health problems in the recent past showed Type A behavior patterns. Our findings show that the Structured Interview can be applied in a valid manner to mothers of young children passing trough a demanding phase in their lives. Further research is needed to uncover the causes of the high prevalence of Type A behaviors in young mothers.     

Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors Share a Common Predictor: the Effects of Early Maladaptive Schemas Are Mediated by Coping Responses and Schema Modes

We investigated the relationships of adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing behaviors with their early maladaptive schemas (EMS), coping responses, and schema modes. We focused on EMS related to experiences of disconnection and rejection that comprise vulnerable emotions, such as shame, mistrust, deprivation, abandonment, and isolation/alienation. This cross-sectional study included a total of 699 adolescents (combined clinical and non-referred sample) who were 11 to 18 years old (M?=?14.6; SD?=?1.6), and of which 45% was male. All participants completed self-report questionnaires on EMS, coping responses, schema modes, and behavior problems. We aimed to clarify the relationships between these variables by testing mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation models. In general, coping responses functioned as mediators rather than moderators in the relationships between EMS and schema modes. Furthermore, EMS regarding experiences of disconnection and rejection were related to both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and coping responses and schema modes mediated these effects. In conclusion, although adolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior problems manifest quite differently, they seem related to the same EMS.     

Identity,coping style,and health behaviour among first generation Irish immigrants in England

Abstract

Berry's (1997) framework for acculturation research was used to explore the relationship between identity and health among Irish immigrants in England. One hundred and twelve first generation Irish immigrants completed questionnaire measures of ethnic identity, opportunities for identity expression, generalised coping style, and health behaviour. Significant, though small, positive correlations were observed between identity and health behaviour as predicted. Regression analyses and path analysis were used to present a model of the link between variables. Of particular note were the contrasting ways in which the two dimensions of identity were associated with health behaviour. Participants who positively evaluated their ethnic origins reported engaging in healthier behaviour and adopting more beneficial coping strategies when faced with day-to-day stresses and problems. Participants who reported their ethnic origin as more central to their overall identity were also more likely to adopt beneficial coping strategies. Concomitantly, however, they had fewer than desired opportunities for expressing their ethnic identity which was, in turn, associated with less beneficial coping and health behaviour. In looking for ways to tackle the well-documented health problems of both first and second generation Irish in England, the results suggest that encouragement to feel more positive about their ethnic identity might result in greater usage of behavioural approach coping and, relatedly, to improved health behaviour.