Poster #139 - Dyadic Synchrony Components Across Time: A Cross Panel Analysis of Latina Adolescent Mother-Toddler Interactions

• In Event: 1-061 - Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Dyadic synchrony (DS) is characterized by harmonious and mutually responsive behavioral and emotional exchanges and is associated with more optimal social and emotional development in children (Harrist & Waugh, 2002). Despite these positive implications, the interplay of different interactional dyadic synchrony components (e.g. reciprocity, mutual affect) is less understood. Furthermore, the generalizability of dyadic synchrony findings across different ethnic groups, or dyads including young mothers, is unknown. The goal of the current study was to test the reciprocal influences of the affective and behavioral components of DS across time in a sample of Latina adolescent mothers and their toddlers. We also examined how individual affective qualities (maternal depressive symptoms, child negative reactivity) related to the dyads’ interactions.

Data was collected from 169 adolescent Latina (M age=17.52) mother-toddler dyads longitudinally at 18- and 24-month home visits. Dyadic reciprocity (i.e., mutually focused, harmonious verbal and behavioral exchanges) and mother and child affect were coded in 30-second intervals using two five-point rating scales during a 10-minute free play task at Wave 1 and 2 (W1 and W2 respectively; Lindsey et al., 2008). We also derived a mutual positive affect variable reflecting the percent of segments where both mothers and children displayed at least some positive affect (> ‘2’). Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the 13-item depression subscale of the SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1994), and child negative reactivity was coded from the administration of a cognitive assessment (Bayley, 1993).

Path analyses tested the continuity and reciprocal effects of mother and child affect as well as those of dyadic synchrony components (e.g., reciprocity and mutual positive affect) across time. Regarding mother and child positive affect (Figure 1), when controlling for W1 maternal depressive symptoms and children’s negative reactivity, we found that both mothers’ and children’s positive affect were stable across time. We also found that the relation between children’s W1 positive affect and mothers’ W2 positive affect approached significance. At W1 mothers’ positive affect did not predict W2 children’s positive affect.
Regarding the dyadic synchrony components (Figure 2), when controlling for wave 1 child gender (mother-daughter dyads achieved higher reciprocity), maternal depressive symptoms and children’s negative reactivity, we found that behavioral reciprocity was stable across time, whereas the relation of mutual positive affect between W1 and W2 approached significance. We also found that W1 behavioral reciprocity predicted W2 mutual positive affect, and the relation between W1 mutual positive affect and W2 behavioral reciprocity approached significance.

Overall, our results indicated that mother and child positive affect, mutual positive affect, and reciprocity were stable across time, providing generalization of dyadic synchrony constructs to an understudied population. Regarding reciprocal effects, child (vs. mother) positive affect and behavioral reciprocity (vs. mutual positive affect) influenced mothers’ positive affect and mutual positive affect, respectively, over time. Additionally, consistent with research among European American (EA) and adult mothers, our results suggest children with more symptomatic mothers display less positive affectivity during parent-child interactions.

Authors

• Aimee Hammer, Kent State University
  Presenting Author

• Jordan Weith, Kent State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Josefina Grau, Kent State University
  Non-Presenting Author