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Infant temperamental reactivity, maternal and grandparental sensitivity: Differential susceptibility for behavior

Shufen Xing1, Quan Zhou2, Marc Archer3

  • 1Psychological Department, School of Education Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.

Early Human Development
|September 11, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Infants with high temperamental reactivity benefit more from sensitive caregiving by mothers and grandmothers. This supports the differential susceptibility hypothesis, showing sensitive care amplifies effects in reactive children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Differential susceptibility hypothesis: innate traits and environment interact.
  • Grandparental care is common in China, especially when mothers work.
  • Investigating infant temperament and caregiving interactions is a research hotspot.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Examine if infant temperamental reactivity moderates the link between maternal/grandmaternal sensitivity and behavior problems.
  • Assess dual caregiving by mothers and grandmothers.

Main Methods:

  • 71 infants (17.6 months avg.), mothers, and grandmothers participated.
  • Maternal and grandmaternal sensitivity assessed via Maternal Behavior Q-sort.
  • Infant temperament (reactivity) and behavior problems measured using validated Chinese revisions of established questionnaires.

Main Results:

  • Maternal sensitivity predicted impulsivity and aggression.
  • Infant reactivity moderated maternal sensitivity's effect on general anxiety.
  • Infant reactivity moderated grandmaternal sensitivity's effect on separation distress.

Conclusions:

  • Results partially support the differential susceptibility hypothesis.
  • Highly reactive infants are more affected by low sensitivity but benefit more from high sensitivity.
  • Caregiving sensitivity's impact is amplified in infants with high temperamental reactivity.
Abstract

Keywords:
Behavior problemsDifferential susceptibilityGrandmaternal sensitivityGrandparental sensitivityMaternal sensitivityTemperamental reactivity

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