Work

Dynamic coupling of maternal sensitivity and toddlers’ responsive/assertive behaviors predicts children’s behavior toward peers during the preschool years.

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: = 128; 66 girls). Children were rated on their responsiveness and assertiveness toward an unfamiliar peer in the early preschool years (Time 2) and toward a friend in the late preschool years (Time 3). Residual dynamic structural equation models showed that stronger positive contemporaneous coupling of maternal sensitivity and children's responsiveness in a given 30-s epoch of the play session predicted greater observed responsiveness toward a friend in the late preschool years, after controlling for mean levels of maternal sensitivity and child responsiveness. On the other hand, positive contemporaneous coupling of maternal sensitivity and child assertiveness predicted children's higher levels of observed assertiveness toward an unfamiliar peer in the early preschool years, after controlling for mean levels of maternal sensitivity and child assertiveness. Results suggest that the dynamic coupling of specific positive behaviors during mother-child interaction may provide children with social scripts to draw on in diverse peer contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Developmental Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/dev0001809

Authors: Niyantri Ravindran, Nancy L. McElwain

Institutions: University of Georgia, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Campus Research Board

Awards: G7155408446, G775376650, G7945951762