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Gepubliceerd in:

01-08-2007 | Original Paper

Mothers’ Empathic Understanding of their Toddlers: Associations with Maternal Depression and Sensitivity

Auteurs: Lisa W. Coyne, Christine M. Low, Alison L. Miller, Ronald Seifer, Susan Dickstein

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies | Uitgave 4/2007

Abstract

Mothers’ empathic understanding of their children’s motives, thoughts, and feelings is thought to guide parenting behaviors and shape the mother-child relationship. However, little is known about the relation between empathic understanding and parenting behaviors during developmental shifts that may be emotionally challenging for mothers, such as the transition from infancy to the toddler years, or how it may relate to maternal depressive symptoms. We assessed relations between maternal empathic understanding, depression, and sensitivity. We developed a coding system, the Empathic Understanding Assessment (EUA), to measure this construct in the mothers of 30-month old children. One hundred twenty eight mother-child pairs participated in a series of lab-based tasks designed to be challenging for the children. Mothers then watched these videotaped interactions and responded to questions regarding their children’s experiences. Interview content was coded using the EUA. Results indicated that mothers higher in empathic understanding and more intensely emotional were rated as more sensitive. Maternal depression was negatively related to empathic understanding. The importance of considering the role of maternal empathic understanding in parenting behavior is discussed, as are potential implications for child outcomes.

vorige artikel The Effects of the Nobody’s Perfect Program on Parenting Resourcefulness and Competency

volgende artikel Enrichment in Pre-Kindergarten Life Predicts Initiation of Cigarette Smoking in Asian American and Hispanic/Latino Adolescents

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Titel: Mothers’ Empathic Understanding of their Toddlers: Associations with Maternal Depression and Sensitivity
Auteurs: Lisa W. Coyne
Christine M. Low
Alison L. Miller
Ronald Seifer
Susan Dickstein
Publicatiedatum: 01-08-2007
Uitgeverij: Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies / Uitgave 4/2007
Print ISSN: 1062-1024
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2843
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9099-9

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