Observing maternal sensitivity in a South African township: an exploratory study into behavioral features using
Nicola Dawson1,2, Katherine Bain1, Judi Mesman3
1School of Human and Community Development, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Attachment & Human Development
|October 5, 2020
Summary
Cultural context shapes maternal sensitivity. This study found differences in how sensitivity is measured in South African mothers, highlighting the need for culturally specific assessment tools in parenting research.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Maternal sensitive responsiveness is crucial for child development.
- Existing measures of sensitive responsiveness may not capture cultural variations.
- South African parenting practices may differ from those typically assessed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore cultural differences in maternal sensitive responsiveness.
- To compare the Ainsworth sensitivity scale with the Maternal Behavior Q-sort (MBQ) mini in a South African context.
- To develop a culturally relevant measure of maternal sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 50 mothers in a South African Township.
- Compared Ainsworth sensitivity scale and MBQ-mini.
- Developed a local "South African" Q-sort.
Main Results:
- A modest association was found between the Ainsworth scale and MBQ-mini.
- Maternal education correlated with MBQ-mini scores, but not Ainsworth scores.
- Culturally specific behaviors like social games and verbal teaching were more salient in MBQ-mini.
Conclusions:
- Standardized measures may overlook culturally specific parenting behaviors.
- Physical forms of responsiveness appear more typical in this South African sample.
- A culture-specific Q-sort is necessary for accurate assessment of South African maternal sensitivity.
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