Infant temperamental reactivity, maternal and grandparental sensitivity: Differential susceptibility for behavior problems in China.
The differential susceptibility hypothesis suggests that children's innate characteristics and their rearing experiences interact differentially during development. Recently, the study of interactions between infants' temperament and rearing experiences has become a research hotspot. In China, grandparental care is a very common phenomenon, with many infants taken care of by grandparents while mothers are out for work.



To investigate whether the associations between maternal and grandmaternal sensitivity, and behavior problems were moderated by infant temperamental reactivity, while the infants were raised by both their mothers and grandmothers.



A total of 71 infants (average age of 17.6months), their mothers and grandmothers were included in this study.



Maternal sensitivity and grandmaternal sensitivity were assessed with the Maternal Behavior Q-sort-Chinese Version, infants' temperamental reactivity was measured with Carey's Toddler Temperament Questionnaire-Chinese Revision, and infants' behavior problems were measured with the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment-Chinese Version.



Maternal sensitivity significantly predicted infants' impulsivity and aggression. Infants' temperamental reactivity moderated the effect of maternal sensitivity on infants' general anxiety. In addition, infant temperamental reactivity moderated the impact of grandmaternal sensitivity on infants' separation distress.



Our results support the differential susceptibility hypothesis to some extent. Infants with high temperamental reactivity not only suffer more from low maternal and grandmaternal sensitivity, but also benefit more from high maternal and grandmaternal sensitivity as compared to those infants with low temperamental reactivity.
Psychological Department, School of Education Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
Shufen
S
Xing
Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Quan
Q
Zhou
School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.
Marc
M
Archer
Psychological Department, School of Education Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
Jianhong
J
Yue
Psychological Department, School of Education Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: wangzhengyan@sina.com.
Zhengyan
Z
Wang
D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D000066502:Grandparents / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D000066553:Problem Behavior; D013694:Temperament
Behavior problems; Differential susceptibility; Grandmaternal sensitivity; Grandparental sensitivity; Maternal sensitivity; Temperamental reactivity