Sources of maternal confidence and uncertainty and perceptions of problem-solving competence

Although a mother's perception of her competence in problem-solving issues of infant care may affect her sensitivity to her infant's cues, little is known about factors that contribute to this perception. This study explored the type of information on which maternal confidence is based and examined its relationship to perceived competence in problem-solving issues of infant care. The 49 mothers of healthy newborns who participated in this study were interviewed 30 and 90 days after the infant's birth to learn about sources of confidence or uncertainty. The interview protocol also included scaled items to assess perceived problem-solving competence. The infant's mood was most frequently reported as either a source of confidence or uncertainty at both 30 and 90 days. The infant's response to care as a source of confidence or uncertainty was positively related to perceived competence, suggesting that strengthening mothers' attention to this source of information about their performance may be clinically useful. Direct study of the type of information used to evaluate competence in problem-solving is recommended, since it may differ from the type of information on which mothers base their confidence in caring for their infants.