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Related Experiment Videos

Infant day care. Maligned or malignant?

K A Clarke-Stewart

    The American Psychologist
    |February 1, 1989
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Mothers working outside the home impacts infants. Research suggests day care may lead to behavioral changes, but alternative explanations are more likely. Further study is needed on infant day care effects.

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    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Psychology
    • Child Psychology
    • Sociology

    Background:

    • Increasing maternal employment rates in the U.S. raise concerns about infant well-being.
    • Potential negative impacts of maternal separation and day care on infant development are debated.
    • Existing research indicates possible links between maternal employment and infant behavior.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the argument that infant day care places children at risk for emotional insecurity and social maladjustment.
    • To critically assess current research findings on the effects of maternal employment and day care on infants.
    • To identify the need for further research into moderating and mediating factors.

    Main Methods:

    • Review and analysis of existing research data on infant development and maternal employment.

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  • Evaluation of behavioral observations of infants with working mothers, including separation responses, compliance, and peer interactions.
  • Critical assessment of the interpretation of these behaviors as indicators of risk.

    • Main Results:

    • Infants of full-time working mothers may show increased avoidance of mothers after separation at one year of age.
    • Some data suggest these infants might exhibit less compliance and more aggression with peers.
    • The interpretation of these behaviors as definitive signs of emotional insecurity or social maladjustment is questioned.

    Conclusions:

    • Alternative interpretations of the observed behaviors are more plausible than the risk argument.
    • The current research does not conclusively establish day care as detrimental to infant emotional security or social adjustment.
    • Further research is essential to understand the complex factors influencing the effects of infant day care.