Parental perceived control over caregiving and its relationship to parent-infant interaction.
In this sample of 66 dual-earner mothers and fathers and their 1-year-old infants, associations among parental ratings of infant difficulty, parental perceived control over caregiving outcomes, and parental sensitive and directive behavior were examined during a triadic free-play session in the home. Perceived infant difficulty was related to maternal directiveness for mothers with low perceived control. Fathers with low perceived control exhibited more directiveness, regardless of their ratings of infant difficulty. For both mothers and fathers, there was a negative association between sensitivity and directiveness but no association between sensitive behavior and parental perceived control. Although parents scored similarly overall on various other measures, mothers with low perceived control demonstrated more categorical thinking about children's development than other mothers.
Guzell
Jacqueline R
JR
Human Development and Family Studies, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA. jguzell@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Vernon-Feagans
Lynne
L
D000328:Adult; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003068:Coercion; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept