Poster #162 - The relationship between temperament and infant motor activity observed during the strange situation

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - Perceptual, Sensory, Motor

Integrative Statement

Introduction. Child temperament and parent-child attachment are largely independently related to child developmental outcomes (Groh et al., 2017). Still, behaviors that are indicative of quality of attachment may also be indicative of infants’ temperament. Attachment classifications are usually based on lab observations, with exploratory locomotion and manipulation as important components (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). A recent study showed that infant activity levels in lab situations are lower for infants with high rates of social fear (Frazier-Wood & Saudino, 2017). However, it is unclear whether infants’ behavior during attachment-related lab observations is related to temperament. In the current study we aimed to explore the link between motor activity and temperament by questioning along which dimensions of temperament the episodes of the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) bring out individual differences in motor activity.
Method. The sample constitutes of infants and their mothers who participate in a longitudinal study on parenting, the parent-child relationship and child development. These 135 mother-infant dyads were selected out of 311 dyads who visited the university to participate in the SSP (Ainsworth et al., 1978). Mother-reported temperament of the infants was assessed with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (Rothbart, 1981). Currently, motor activity data of 108 mother-infant dyads are available (52 girls; mean age 12.87 months, SD = .62), which will be completed to 135 dyads in the upcoming months. Real-time coding of infants’ motor activity was conducted using Noldus The Observer XT. The type and duration of displacement and engagement with toys was coded. Multiple regression analyses were run to examine which dimensions of temperament are related with duration of displacement and object engagement during (pre-)separation and reunion.
Results. Multiple regression analyses for each episode of the SSP showed that the six subscales of temperament combined do not significantly explain variance in infants’ motor activity (Table 1; Table 2). However, results of individual subscales showed that infants’ soothability is positively related to object engagement during separation from mother and researcher (Table 1). Infants’ duration of orienting is negatively and smiling and laughter positively related to displacement during pre-separation and during separation with a researcher present (Table 2). Additionally, during the final reunion displacement was negatively related to infants’ duration of orienting.
Discussion. Since temperamental subscales combined did not significantly predict infants’ motor activity during the SSP, results of individual subscales should be interpret with caution. Results of individual subscales of temperament indicate that mother-reported soothability, lack of duration of orienting and smiling and laughter might be expressed in individual differences in motor activity during pre-separation, separation and reunion. However, infants’ activity level, distress to approach and distress to limitations are not related to motor activity. In future analyses we will further explore motor activity as an expression of the interaction between attachment and temperament, and examine links with child developmental outcomes, such as motor skills and social development.

Authors

• Lianne van Setten, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Presenting Author

• Annick Ledebt, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mirjam Oosterman, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Geert J.P. Savelsbergh, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carlo Schuengel, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marleen HM De Moor, Child and Family Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  Non-Presenting Author