Title: Naturalistic vs laboratory assessment of temperament and maternal sensitivity
Abstract: The psychological impact of physical setting on observed infant temperament and maternal sensitivity was studied on fourty nine 6 month-old infants and their mothers. We used the multisituation procedure both at home and at the laboratory. The infant's observed temperament was scored according to the Temperament Adjective Triad Assessment, and maternal sensitivity according to the Parent-Caregiver Involvement Scale. Strong correlation was found between maternal sensitivity at home and at lab. The aggregated temperament scores in the two settings were also significantly correlated, though less strongly. Temperament item-analysis showed mood is the most sensitive to physical setting, and the caregiving situation at the lab elicited more negative mood, approach behavior and intensity than at home. The strong inverse correlation we found between total difficulty score on temperament and maternal sensitivity at the lab. is in agreement with the findings of a previous study on temperament and maternal sensitivity observed at home. These data suggest lab. assessment of infant and maternal behaviors is as reliable as home assesment. If replicated, this conclusion has theoretical implications, regarding concepts of “naturalistic” versus “artificial” assesments, stability of temperament behaviors and maternal sensitivity over different physical environment (in contrast to the effect of situational factors on temperament as shown in another previous study).
Publication Year: 1996
Publication Date: 1996-04-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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