Poster #140 - Maternal Sensitivity in Infancy Promotes Child Language Skill in Preschool

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Previous work on maternal sensitivity and development of language suggests that maternal sensitive responsiveness promotes language development in infants and children (Tamis-LeMonda, Shannon, Cabrera, & Lamb, 2004; Leigh, Nievar, & Nathans, 2011; Vitale, 2000). Literature is equivocal on whether positive language development results from specific qualities of maternal sensitivity and/or child characteristics, or because sensitive mothers simply talk more (Sroufe, 1988, Nozadi et al., 2013; Tamis-LeMonda, Kuchirko, & Song, 2014; Kempinnen, Kumpulainen, Moilanen, & Ebeling, 2006). This study examines how maternal sensitivity in infancy predicts child language in preschool, controlling maternal age, maternal language in infancy and toddlerhood, and maternal sensitivity in preschool.

Data were collected from 50 European American mother-child dyads (50% mother-daughter). Children averaged 5.38 months (SD = .23, n = 50) at the first observation and 49.10 months (SD = 1.11, n = 29) at the second observation. Mothers averaged 27.48 years (SD= 6.92) at the first observation. For the first observation, the mother-infant dyad was visited in their home by a single observer who filmed one hour of the mother-infant natural interaction. Maternal sensitivity was rated using the Ainsworth Maternal Sensitivity Scales (Ainsworth, 1969) and the mini Maternal Behaviour Q-Sort (Moran, Pederson & Bento, 2009), and maternal speech to the infant was coded, second-by-second in real time from videorecords. At 20 months, mothers visited the laboratory and were administered a test of verbal intelligence (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised; Dunn & Dunn, 1981). At 48 months, mother and child visited the laboratory for several tasks. Children were given a standardized intelligence test (Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised; Weschler, 1989) and a story telling task for a natural language sample. Mothers were rated for supportive presence using the Teaching Tasks (Egeland et al., 1995) and administered an interview of child receptive, expressive, and written communication skills (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales; Sparrow et al., 1984). Maternal age and education were highly correlated but maternal age had stronger relations with maternal sensitivity and language, so it was chosen as a covariate.

Figure 1 presents the standardized model of maternal sensitivity at 5 months on child language 48 months, controlling maternal language at 5 and 20 months, and maternal supportive presence at 48 months. Maternal sensitivity at 5 months predicted child language at 48 months over and above maternal language at 5 and 20 months, and concurrent maternal supportive presence. Because maternal age was associated with maternal sensitivity and language at 5 months and maternal supportive presence at 48 months, maternal age was added to the model as an exogenous variable related to all constructs, and the effect of maternal sensitivity on child language remained significant (Figure 2).

These findings suggest that maternal sensitivity in infancy, before the infant speaks their first words, predicts child language skill in preschool. The model was well controlled, and by focusing on maternal sensitivity we ruled out language input and stability in sensitivity as alternative explanations for child language. Encouraging maternal sensitivity in infancy may promote child language later.

Authors

• Diane L. Putnick, NICHD
  Presenting Author

• Marc H. Bornstein, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development & Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, UK
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christine Wei, NICHD
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yookyung Lee, York University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yvonne Bohr, York University
  Non-Presenting Author