Development and validation of the Maternal Distraction Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Parenting Studies

Background:

• Maternal engagement during infant interactions is crucial for development.
• Increasing use of technology may impact mother-infant bonding and interaction quality.
• A validated measure is needed to assess maternal distraction by technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Maternal Distraction Questionnaire (MDQ).
• To assess mothers' engagement with technological activities during mother-infant interactions.
• To examine the relationship between maternal distraction and infant outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: Factor analysis of the MDQ completed by 332 mothers and their infants.
• Study 2: Correlation of MDQ data with feeding activity diaries from 24 mothers and infants.
• Validation against measures of feeding styles, attachment, infant behaviors, and temperament.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified two subscales: engagement with technological distractors and perceived distraction.
• MDQ subscales showed significant correlations with feeding styles, attachment, infant eating behaviors, and temperament.
• MDQ subscale scores correlated significantly with diary data on feeding activities.

Conclusions:

• The Maternal Distraction Questionnaire (MDQ) is a reliable and valid self-report measure.
• The MDQ effectively quantifies maternal engagement with technology during mother-infant interactions.
• Findings support the MDQ's utility in research on technology's impact on parenting.