Poster #150 - Parental Perspective-Taking Predicts Sensitive Responding in Early Head Start Parent-Child Interactions

• In Event: 1-169 - Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Sensitive responding to young children is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes including positive parent-child relationships, greater social-emotional competence and fewer behavioral concerns (e.g., Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2003; Sanders et al., 2014). Sensitive responding involves the ability to perceive and correctly interpret the child’s signals, select an appropriate response, and promptly respond in a contingent manner (Ainsworth et al., 1978). There are likely internal cognitive processes that underlie, guide and generate parenting behaviors (Demick, 2002; Newberger & White, 1989; Oppenheim & Koren-Karie, 2013). Although some research supports a link between sensitive responding and a parent’s internal awareness of the child’s perspective (e.g., Koren-Karie et al, 2001; Landry et al., 2001), parental perspective taking (PPT) has been understudied, especially in low-income families. Levels of PPT identified by Newberger (1977) have been associated with variation in child-oriented parenting (Gerris et al.,1997) as well as differences in parent-child interactions (Thomas, 2001). This study further explored parental perspective taking (cognitive) as a predictor of Early Head Start parents’ ability to sensitively respond (behavior) to their children. A sample of 48 low-income parent-child pairs (85% mothers, 67% boys, M age children = 24 months, SD = 9.47) were observed at five Early Head Start centers in three counties while engaging in daily routine tasks (free play, looking at books, distraction activity, dressing) measured by the Indicator of Parent Child Interaction (IPCI, Baggett et al., 2009). Caregiver facilitators (sensitive responding; see Figure) and interrupters were scored on a 4-point scale (0=never to 3=often). Individual 30-minute interviews (Newberger, 1977) were used to identify qualitatively different PPT levels based upon three domains of parental awareness (conceptions of child, parent-child relationship, parental role). Levels represent a developmental progression from egocentric to conventional/stereotypic to individualized/subjective and finally an analytical perspective of their child. Observations and interviews were counterbalanced and interrater reliability exceeded 90%. Ten parents were identified at PPT Level 1 (egocentric) and six at Level 2 (conventional). The remainder were transitional between levels, with 12 parents being primarily Level 1 (with some Level 2), and 21 primarily Level 2 (with some Level 1). None were identified with higher PPT Level 3 (individualistic) or Level 4 (analytic). Based on hierarchical regression (see Table), child age and gender did not predict parental sensitive responding. PPT related to parental role explained a significant amount of variance in sensitive responding beyond child age and gender (ΔR2 = .094, p = .036), with “defining and addressing needs” being the significant PPT issue in this domain. Other PPT domains did not predict sensitive responding (conceptions of child ΔR2 = .018, p = .366; parent-child relationship ΔR2 = .002, p = .795). Figure 1 shows differences in parental behaviors across PPT levels. PPT did not predict the low incidence of IPCI interrupters (harsh, restricting, rejecting behavior) in this sample. These findings suggest a promising direction for continued PPT research with low-income parents and controlled trials of parent education interventions such as Thomas’ (2001, 2005) reflective dialogue that support development of parents’ awareness and perspective taking.

Authors

• Rebecca A Marcon, University of North Florida
  Presenting Author

• Natalie Knauf, University of North Florida
  Non-Presenting Author