New brief temperament guidance program for parents of infants: A pilot evaluation

Intensive temperament guidance programs have been successfully utilized to improve caregiver understanding of temperament and teach strategies for appropriately responding to temperament traits. However, the effects of providing brief psychoeducational temperament information to parents have not been previously examined.

Mothers of 3-12-month infants (n = 35) participated in an intervention examining the impact of a comprehensive temperament brochure on temperament knowledge, program attitudes, and parent-child interactions.

Mothers demonstrated increased temperament knowledge and were generally accepting of the program. Behavioral changes in mother-child interactions were observed. Sensitivity increased, and interactions shifted from more parent-directed to more balanced following the intervention. Infant gender functioned as a moderator of intervention effects for two mother-infant interaction dynamics. A significant increase in reciprocity was observed between mothers and boys, largely as a function of significantly lower levels of reciprocity preintervention. Child gender also interacted with directedness, in that interactions became more balanced for girls, but remained more mother-directed with boys. Finally, maternal education functioned as a moderator of tempo, as mothers in the higher education group shifted from slower to moderate tempo following the intervention.

Promising results suggest the need for continued implementation and evaluation of brief temperament interventions.