Maternal perceptual style and mother-infant play behavior

Normal mothers' perceptions of an older child at play were used to assess maternal perceptual biases. Mothers then engaged in play encounters with their 15-month-old infants. Perceptual biases were related to infant and mother play behaviors. For example, positive perceptions were related to positive play and interpersonal behaviors, including mutual play and exchange games. The data suggest support for the hypothesis that maternal perceptions of child behavior may affect maternal behavior and thereby influence mother-child interactions.