Mother-infant interaction and acculturation: II. Behavioural coherence and correspondence in Japanese American and South American families

Abstract

This study examined cultural generality and specificity in relations among and between mothers’ and infants’ behaviours in 37 Japanese American and 40 South American acculturating families. Few relations among mothers’ behaviours emerged, except for that between mothers’ social behaviour and other types of maternal behaviour, which appear to reflect the common collectivist orientation of these two cultural groups. Few relations among infants’ behaviours emerged, suggesting that there is independence and plasticity in infant behavioural organisation. Several expected relations between mothers’ and infants’ behaviours emerged, pointing to some universal characteristics in mother-infant interactions.