Mother-child emotional availability in ecological perspective: three countries, two regions, two genders.
This study used a cross-national framework to examine country, region, and gender differences in emotional availability (EA), a prominent index of mutual socioemotional adaptation in the parent-child dyad. Altogether 220 Argentine, Italian, and U.S. mothers and their daughters and sons from both rural and metropolitan areas took part in home observations when the children were 20 months old. In terms of country, Italian mothers were more sensitive and optimally structuring, and Italian children were more responsive and involving, than Argentine and U.S. dyads. In terms of region, rural mothers were more intrusive than metropolitan mothers, and boys from metropolitan areas were more responsive than boys from rural areas. In terms of gender, mothers of girls were more sensitive and optimally structuring than mothers of boys, and daughters were more responsive and involving than sons. Understanding how country, region, and gender influence EA exposes forces that shape child development, parent-infant interaction, and family systems.
Bornstein
Marc H
MH
Child and Family Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 30892, USA. Marc_H_Bornstein@nih.gov
Putnick
Diane L
DL
Heslington
Marianne
M
Gini
Motti
M
Suwalsky
Joan T D
JT
Venuti
Paola
P
de Falco
Simona
S
Giusti
Zeno
Z
Zingman de Galperín
Celia
C
D001118:Argentina; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D012424:Rural Population; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population