Maternal distress regulation and dyadic repair: Contributions to infant socio-emotional functioning.
Item
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Title
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Maternal distress regulation and dyadic repair: Contributions to infant socio-emotional functioning.
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Identifier
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AAI9986381
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identifier
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9986381
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Creator
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Spitzer, Sally.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Arietta Slade
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical | Psychology, Developmental
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Abstract
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Although mothers' responsiveness is often thought to play an important role in relation to infant socio-emotional functioning, the exact nature of this role has remained unclear. Furthermore, few studies have empirically measured maternal responsiveness in the context of an episode of dysregulation and interactive stress. Towards these ends, the present study sought to address these issues by developing a set of maternal emotion regulation strategies and dyadic repair measures, for the purpose of examining the responses mothers use to negotiate a process of "disruption and repair" (Tronick and Gianino, 1986) and to regulate infant affect and attention.;Thirty-five primiparous mothers participated in the study. Data was drawn from videotapes of mothers and their 10-month old infants during a laboratory still-face procedure (Tronick, Als, Adamson, Wise, and Brazelton, 1978). This was an older age group than had previously been reported in the literature. Based on analyses of reunion behavior following the still face, levels of infant negative affect and maternal emotion regulation strategies were assessed, and dyads were classified according to repair outcome. Additional data was drawn four months later from videotapes of these dyads during the Strange Situation (Ainsworth and Wittig, 1969). Based on findings, infants were classified according to security of attachment.;The study found that 10-month old infants, like their younger counterparts, displayed a carry-over of negative affect following the still face. Maternal responses to infant distress differentiated into attention- and affect-regulating strategies. Attention-regulating strategies included responses like distraction; affect-regulating strategies included responses like comfort and affect-labeling. Affect-labeling responses were further characterized by negative or positive valence. Analyses showed that in response to infant state, mothers used both attention-regulating and affect-regulating strategies. However, only affectregulating strategies were related to repair. Specifically, comfort and negative affect-labeling responses were linked to continued dysregulation and distress, while, positive affect-labeling responses were associated with regulation and repair. In this regard, a re-evaluation of the construct of maternal sensitivity was provided, contextualized by developmental and situational factors.;While maternal strategies did not directly predict infant attachment, a substantive trend emerged between dyadic repair and attachment security. The data suggest that maternal positivity and capacity to sensitively and effectively repair dyadic disruptions impact favorably upon development. Implications of these findings in terms of clinical interventions were examined.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
