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Maternal self-efficacy: illusory control and its effect on susceptibility to learned helplessness
W L Donovan1, L A Leavitt, R O Walsh
1Waisman Center on Mental Retardation and Human Development, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53705.
Child Development
|October 1, 1990
Summary
Mothers with a high illusion of control showed greater learned helplessness when caring for infants. This suggests that an overestimation of control may be detrimental to infant caregiving performance.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Infant Care
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Parenting demands can impact maternal psychological responses.
- Understanding maternal perception of control is crucial for infant well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between mothers' illusion of control and their susceptibility to learned helplessness in simulated infant care tasks.
- To examine physiological responses (heart rate) associated with different levels of control perception.
Main Methods:
- 66 mothers of 5-month-old infants participated in two tasks.
- Task 1: Assessed illusion of control over stopping infant cries.
- Task 2: Assessed susceptibility to learned helplessness in stopping cries.
Main Results:
- Mothers with a high illusion of control exhibited increased susceptibility to learned helplessness.
- Physiological responses varied: low/moderate control groups showed attentive heart rates, while the high control group was inattentive.
- Mothers of difficult infants in the high control group showed defensive responses.
Conclusions:
- A high illusion of control may be an maladaptive strategy in response to childcare demands.
- Maternal perception of control influences learned helplessness and physiological stress responses.
- Findings highlight the complex interplay between cognitive appraisal and maternal coping mechanisms.
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