Mother-child interactional patterns in high-and low-risk mothers

doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(97)00090-2

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 21, Issue 12, 1997, Pages 1149-1158

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(97)00090-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the extent to which mother-child interactional patterns in high-and low-risk (for child physical abuse) mothers were similar to patterns observed in physically abusive parents.

Method: Ten high-risk and 10 demographically similar low-risk mother-child dyads were studied. Trained observers coded maternal-child interaction patterns in the home during five 1-hour periods using the Standardized Observation Codes system.

Results: As expected, high-risk mothers made fewer neutral approaches to their children, displayed more negative behaviors toward their children, and made more indiscriminant responses to their children's prosocial behavior. Expected risk group differences were not found in the number of neutral instructions or positive responses, albeit the proportion of positive responses out of the total number of positive and negative responses was higher for low-risk mothers. After control for educational differences, risk group differences remained in the rates of neutral approaches and the number of indiscriminant behaviors made in response to children's prosocial behaviors.

Conclusions: The observational data indicated that high-risk mothers display some behaviors similar to those observed in physically abusive mothers. The finding that high-risk mothers made more indiscriminate or noncontingent responses when reacting to their children's prosocial behavior is consistent with a coercive model of child physical abuse.

Résumé

Objectif: Le but de cette étude fut de préciser jusqu'á quel point les caractéristiques des relations mère-enfant dans des situations de risque élevé et de faible risque ressemblent aux interactions que l'on observe chez les parents abusifs.

Méthode: On a étudié dix dyades de mères-enfants r risque élevé et dix dyades appareillées au point de vue démographique. Durant cinq périodes d'une durée d'une heure, et se servant d'un système d'observation standardisé, des observateurs formés ont codifié les interactions mère-enfant dans leur foyer.

Résultats: Comme prévu, les mères á risque élevé abordent moins souvent leur enfant dans une interaction neutre, démontrent des comportements plus négatifs envers l'enfant et réagissent de façon non discriminante en réponse aux avances sociables de leur enfant. En observant le nombre de directives neutres ou de réactions positives, aucune différence a été notée entre les deux groupes, quoique la proportion des réactions facorables par rapport au nombre total de réactions positive et négatives était plus élevée pour les mères á faible risque. Ayant contrôlé les différences de scolarité, c'est au niveau des abords neutres et des comportements non discriminants manifestés en réaction aux comportements sociables des enfants qu'on a remarqué des différences entre les deux groupes.

Conclusions: Les observations démontrent que les mères á risque élevé manifestent certains comportements qui ressemblent á ceux qu'on observe chez les mères qui abusent physiquement leur enfant. Le plus grand nombre de réactions non dicriminantes et non contingentes des mères á risque élevé, en réaction au comportement sociable de leur enfant, s'apparente au modèle coercitif de l'abus physique.

Resumen

Objetivo: El propósito del presente estudio fue determinar en qué medida los patrones de interacción madre-hijo en madres con alto y bajo riesgo de abuso físico eran similares a los patrones obervados en padres que ejercen abuso físico con sus hijos.

Método: Los participantes en este estudio fueron diez díadas madre-hijo de alto y bajo riesgo y otras diez díadas equiparadas demograficamente. Observadores entrenados codificaron la interacción en el hogar durante cinco sessiones de una hora utilizando el Standardized Observation Codes III (SOC-III).

Resultados: Las madres, de acuerdo con lo esperado, realizaron menos aproximaciones sociales de carácter neutro a sus hijos, les dirigieron más conductas negativas y fueron más indiscrimanadas en relación a las conductas prosociales de los niños. No se hallaron diferencias en el número de instrucciones neutras o en las conductas positivas, aunque la proporción de respuestas positivas sobre el total de conductas positivas y negativas fue más elevado en las madres con bajo riesgo. Las diferencias entre los grupos persistieron después de controlar las diferencias en nivel educativo en las tasas de conducta social neutra y en la conducta indiscriminada en respuesta a la conducta prosocial infantil.

Conclusiones: Los datos observacionales indicaron que las madres de alto riesgo manifiestaron algunas conductas similares a aquéllas que se han observado en madres fisicamente abusivas. Los hallazgos de que las madres de alto riesgo efectúan más conductas indiscriminadas, o no contingentes, cuando responden a la conducta prosocial infantil es consistente con un modelo coercitivo del abuso físico.

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Managing a crying infant is a challenge universally faced by new parents. This study examined whether parental interpretations, feelings, and behaviors following exposure to a 2-minute videotaped segment of a crying infant varied as a function of child physical abuse (CPA) risk and exposure to cues of hostility (i.e., hostile priming).
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As expected, high, compared to low, CPA risk parents rated the crying infant more negatively and reported higher levels of hostile feelings after watching the crying infant video. Hostile priming independently increased feelings of hostility, such that high CPA risk parents who were primed with hostile words reported higher levels of hostile feelings relative to all other conditions. Hostile priming also was modestly associated with increased use of excessive force when parents attempted to produce a half-strength grip; however this difference was apparent only among high CPA risk parents.
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^☆: Preparation of this article was supported in part by Grant PS94-0192. DGICYT, funded by Ministerio de Educacion y Cultura, Spain.

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Mother-child interactional patterns in high-and low-risk mothers☆

Abstract

Résumé

Resumen

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Advances of Behavior Research and Therapy

Clinical Psychology Review

Clinical Psychology Review

Child Abuse & Neglect

Self-reports of depression in coercive children: Some correlations with other measures of child and parent behavior

Mother-child interactional style in abuse, neglect, and control groups: Naturalistic observations in the home

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Family interaction in abusive, neglectful, and normal families

Child Development

Standardized observation codes

Interacciones familiares: Un sistema de evaluacion observacional

Programa de asistencia psicologica a familias con problemas de relacion y abuso infantil

Maternal inconsistent socialization: An interactional pattern in maltreated children

Child Abuse Review

Standardized observation codes: SOC III

Perceptions and evaluations of child transgressions and disciplinary techniques in high- and low-risk mothers and their children

Child Development