Parenting Stress in the Dyad: Associations Among Parenting Stress, Parent Role Perceptions, Infant Temperament, and Mother-Infant Emotional Availability

Erica Samson, Pace University

Abstract

The current study investigated the relationships among parenting stress, quality of mother-infant interactions, infant temperament, and parent role perceptions. The study further examined the moderating role of parenting stress. A sample of 35 mother-infant dyads participated in the current study. Parenting stress was measured using the Parenting Stress Index (Abidin, 1995), infant temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, Revised (Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003), and parent role perceptions were measured using the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire (PBIQ-R) and the Frequency Questionnaire (PBFQ; Mowder, 2005). Quality of mother-infant interactions was assessed and coded utilizing the Emotional Availability Scales, 4th Edition (EAS; Biringen, 2008). Mother-infant pairs participated in a 20-minute free play session that was videotaped and coded using the EAS. Components of parenting stress were observed to be significantly correlated with EA Sensitivity, EA Non-hostility, and EA Child Responsiveness. Parenting stress was found to be significantly correlated with negative behaviors of infant temperament. Furthermore, overall and component parts of parenting stress demonstrated significant correlations with parent role perceptions. Results found a significant interaction effect between parenting stress and parent role perceptions in predicting EA Sensitivity; however, these findings were contrary to hypotheses. Higher levels of total parenting stress strengthened the observed significant relationship between positive parent role perceptions and EA Sensitivity. Implications of the current study and future areas of research are discussed. Keywords: mother-infant interactions, parenting stress, emotional availability, infant temperament, maternal perceptions

Subject Area

Developmental psychology|Psychology

Recommended Citation

Samson, Erica, "Parenting Stress in the Dyad: Associations Among Parenting Stress, Parent Role Perceptions, Infant Temperament, and Mother-Infant Emotional Availability" (2014). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI3582082.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI3582082

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