Caregiving representations of mothers of behaviorally inhibited and uninhibited preschool children.
This study examined differences in the caregiving representations of mothers of 3- to 4-year-old behaviorally inhibited and uninhibited children with secure or insecure attachments. Mothers of inhibited children perceived their children as more vulnerable than did mothers of uninhibited children, and they acknowledged difficulties associated with their children's inhibited temperament. However, mothers of insecure inhibited children were less likely than mothers of secure inhibited children to validate their children's emotional experiences and to be aware of their children's internal states and perspectives, and they showed higher levels of boundary violation and defense against negative affect. Implications of the more problematic caregiving representations of mothers of insecure inhibited children for parent-child relationships are discussed.
Shamir-Essakow
Galia
G
Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Ungerer
Judy A
JA
Rapee
Ronald M
RM
Safier
Ruth
R
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D010465:Perception