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Effect of maternal behaviour on toddler separation behaviour
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EFFECT OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOUR ON TODDLER SEPARATION BEHAVIOUR Susan Lollis The laboratory assessment of the mother-child relationship often employs a procedure which separates the child from the mother for brief periods of time. Reactions to these separations may be influenced by the context of the separation. Two contextual factors believed to have an important influence on children's reactions to a laboratory separation were investigated. These factors were the amount of mother-child interaction immediately prior to separation. and the manner in which this interaction was achieved, namely whether or. not the mother was given instructions for her behaviour. Seventy-two 15- to 18-month-old toddlers met for one play session with a same age, same sex peer. During an 8-minute pre-separation play period some mothers were instructed to interact extensively with their children (Instructed Extensive), some were instructed to refrain from interacting (Instructed Minimal), and some were asked to interact as they normally would (Non-instructed). A 4-minute separation followed. The effect of amount of mother-child interaction was investigated by comparing the Instructed Extensive and the Instructed Minimal groups. The children in the Instructed Minimal group displayed negative affect sooner, spent more time in unoccupied behaviour and less time playing with the peer. The effect of experimentally manipulating the levels of mother-child interaction was investigated by comparing the Non-instructed group with the two Instructed groups. The results suggested that the level of maternal participation that occurred in the Non-instructed groups was brought about by the children's behaviour and therefore, did not influence the children's response to separation in the same manner as when the level of participation was manipulated.
EFFECT OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOUR ON TODDLER SEPARATION BEHAVIOUR Susan Lollis The laboratory assessment of the mother-child relationship often employs a procedure which separates the child from the mother for brief periods of time. Reactions to these separations may be influenced by the context of the separation. Two contextual factors believed to have an important influence on children's reactions to a laboratory separation were investigated. These factors were the amount of mother-child interaction immediately prior to separation. and the manner in which this interaction was achieved, namely whether or. not the mother was given instructions for her behaviour. Seventy-two 15- to 18-month-old toddlers met for one play session with a same age, same sex peer. During an 8-minute pre-separation play period some mothers were instructed to interact extensively with their children (Instructed Extensive), some were instructed to refrain from interacting (Instructed Minimal), and some were asked to interact as they normally would (Non-instructed). A 4-minute separation followed. The effect of amount of mother-child interaction was investigated by comparing the Instructed Extensive and the Instructed Minimal groups. The children in the Instructed Minimal group displayed negative affect sooner, spent more time in unoccupied behaviour and less time playing with the peer. The effect of experimentally manipulating the levels of mother-child interaction was investigated by comparing the Non-instructed group with the two Instructed groups. The results suggested that the level of maternal participation that occurred in the Non-instructed groups was brought about by the children's behaviour and therefore, did not influence the children's response to separation in the same manner as when the level of participation was manipulated.