Poster #134 - Emotional Connection in Parent-Infant Dyads: Mother/Father Comparisons and Behavioral Outcomes

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Introduction:
Emotional connection (EC) is a dyadic-level construct reflecting the extent to which a parent and child are mutually responsive, expressive, and engaged with each other. Recent evidence suggests that mother-infant EC is linked to positive maternal and child outcomes (Hane et al., 2018; Welch et al., 2015; 2016), yet little is known about EC in father-infant dyads. The present study seeks to extend the emerging literature on EC in mother-infant dyads to father-infant dyads using the Welch Emotional Connection Screen (WECS), a brief screening tool for assessing relational health from birth to age 5. Two research questions were investigated: (1) How does observed mother-infant EC relate to observed father-infant EC? (2) How does mother-infant vs. father-infant EC relate to reported child behavior problems at age 3?

Drawing from existing evidence for concordance between mothers and fathers on a variety of relationship characteristics (e.g., attachment, parenting style), we expected low to moderate concordance between mother-infant and father-infant EC. Moreover, in light of evidence suggesting differential prediction of mother-child vs. father-child relationship qualities to developmental outcomes (e.g., Paquette, 2004; Martins et al., 2016; Sethna et al., 2017), we expected mother-infant EC to be more strongly predictive of maternal reports of preschoolers’ internalizing and externalizing behavior problems than father-infant EC.

Method:
This study employs secondary data analysis for a longitudinal community sample of 47 6-month-old full term infants and their parents. The majority of mothers were primary caregivers. Mother-infant and father-infant dyads were videotaped separately (counterbalanced) during face-to-face play. Interactions were subsequently coded using the 4-item WECS (Hane et al., 2018). Based upon scores on the four mutual dimensions (attraction, vocal communication, facial communication, responsiveness), an overall score of EC+ (connected) or EC- (not connected) was assigned to each dyad. When children were age 3-years, mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1988).

Results:
Mother-infant EC when infants were 6-months of age predicted child behavioral outcomes at age 3-years, F (2, 44) = 3.76, p = .031, 1 - Wilks’ λ = .146. Emotionally Connected dyads (EC+), 95% CI [-.90, -.22], had significantly lower scores than EC- dyads (95% CI [-.13, .70]; p < .05, d = 0.91), suggesting that infants in EC+ dyads had fewer behavior problems as preschoolers.
In contrast, father-infant EC was not associated with subsequent reports of preschoolers’ behavior problems, F (2, 41) = 1.73, p = .190, 1 - Wilks’ λ = .077. Specifically, there were no significant differences between EC+, 95% CI [-.22, .69], and EC- father-infant dyads (95% CI [-.70, .02]; d = 0.60).
Conclusion:
With mother-infant dyads, the WECS holds promise as a predictive screening tool for young children at risk for adverse behavioral outcomes. Future research will consider whether father-infant EC differentially predicts to other developmental outcomes (e.g., cognitive development), and expand to include families where fathers are primary caregivers. Implications of EC are discussed from the perspective of both calming cycle (Welch et al. 2016) and family systems (e.g., Cox & Paley, 2003) theories.

Authors

• Marcus A Fagan, University of North Texas
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cynthia Frosch, University of North Texas
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mark A Lopez, University of North Texas
  Presenting Author

• Christopher A Musial, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jasmine N LaCoursiere, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author