0000000000082210
AUTHOR
Yana Kuchirko
An intervention focused on maternal sensitivity enhanced mothers' verbal responsiveness to infants
Abstract We investigated the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at enhancing maternal sensitivity on mothers' verbal responsiveness to infants. Forty-four mothers from low-income, Brazilian homes and their 3-month-old infants were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 22) and comparison (n = 22) groups. The intervention spanned eight monthly home visits, during which mothers were trained to acknowledge and respond to infants' behaviors. Maternal verbal responsiveness was assessed during dyadic free play when infants were 11 and 18 months old. We computed the probability that mothers would follow infants' behaviors with verbal unimodal (only verbal) or multimodal (simultaneous verbal an…
Theoretical and Empirical Underpinnings of Maternal Sensitivity: Considerations of Sensitivity Across Cultures and Socioeconomic Status
This chapter presents a comprehensive overview of maternal sensitivity and its predictors, along with the assumptions that explain its repercussions on child development and evidence of these relations. We first present the conceptual and operational definitions of maternal sensitivity espoused by Attachment Theory. Next, we summarize predictors of maternal sensitivity, emphasizing how maternal mental health issues and economic vulnerability can hinder mothers’ ability to sensitively respond to their infants. Finally, we discuss longitudinal studies and meta-analyses which show how maternal sensitivity predicts numerous domains of child development.