Stability and Distinctiveness in Interaction of Mother and Neonate

Abstract

This study investigated the stability and distinctiveness of interactions of mothers and neonates. Behaviors were coded while neonates were observed in a semi-structured situation in the hospital three days after birth with their true mothers as well as with strange mothers who had had parenting experience similar to that of the true mothers. These same infants were then observed in their homes 10 days after birth but only with their true mothers. Interactions between true mothers and infants differed little from the interactions between strange mothers and infants. True mothers' performances, though, proved to be better than strange mothers' performances for predicting Day 10 behaviors of infants while interacting with-their true mothers. Mothers and infants both evidenced much stability across the observations on Days 3 and 10.