This study examined the relationships of stress and social support to maternal attitudes and early mother-infant interactive behavior. 52 mother-premature infant pairs and 53 mother-full-term infant pairs were seen for structured home interviews at 1 month, and behavioral interactions at 4 months. Maternal life stress, social support, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with parenting were assessed at the 1-month home visit. Although no group differences were found, both stress and support significantly predicted maternal attitudes at 1 month and interactive behavior at 4 months when data were pooled. Mothers with greater stress were less positive in their attitudes and behavior, while mothers with greater support were significantly more positive. Intimate support proved to have the most general positive effects. Additionally, social support moderated the adverse effects of stress on mother's life satisfaction and on several behavioral variables. Maternal social support was further found to have several significant effects on infant interactive behavior. Results are discussed in terms of the ecological significance of social support to parenting and infants' early development.

This study examined the relationships of stress and social support to maternal attitudes and early mother-infant interactive behavior. 52 mother-premature infant pairs and 53 mother-full-term infant pairs were seen for structured home interviews at 1 month, and behavioral interactions at 4 months. Maternal life stress, social support, life satisfaction, and satisfaction with parenting were assessed at the 1-month home visit. Although no group differences were found, both stress and support significantly predicted maternal attitudes at 1 month and interactive behavior at 4 months when data were pooled. Mothers with greater stress were less positive in their attitudes and behavior, while mothers with greater support were significantly more positive. Intimate support proved to have the most general positive effects. Additionally, social support moderated the adverse effects of stress on mother's life satisfaction and on several behavioral variables. Maternal social support was further found to have several significant effects on infant interactive behavior. Results are discussed in terms of the ecological significance of social support to parenting and infants' early development.

This study examined the proposition that maternal age influences parental role performance and satisfaction. Mothers, ranging in age from 16-38, comprised two samples: 53 full-term dyads and 52 preterm dyads. Perceptions of parenting role were assessed when infants were 1 month post hospital discharge; interactive behaviors were observed when infants were 4 months old. When other demographic factors and psychosocial variables were controlled, increased maternal age was significantly related to greater satisfaction with parenting, to greater time commitment to that role, and to more optimal observed behavior. Effects of maternal age on observed behavior were stronger in the term sample, whereas effects of maternal age on role satisfaction were stronger in the preterm group. Results indicate that maternal age should be accounted for in studies of motherinfant interaction and child outcomes; the suggestion of linear age effects argues against popular beliefs that adolescent and late childbearing represent unique categories of risk for poor parenting outcomes.Popular wisdom holds that childbearing should be accomplished between the ages of 22 and 31 (Rindfuss & Bumpass, 1978), suggesting an optimal period for maternal care of infants. At earlier and later ages, it is believed, biomedical risks increase, child behavioral outcomes are less optimal, and/ or maternal attitudes and behavior are less optimal.Scientific data, however, have often failed to support these popular beliefs; for example, recent reviews of biomedical outcomes have minimized the risks of complications uniquely due to early or late childbearing (Baldwin & Cain, 1980;Daniels & Weingarten, 1979).

37 mother-preterm and 42 mother-full-term infant pairs were assessed at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months following hospital discharge. The psychosocial functioning of the families was assessed at 1 and 8 months by interview, infants received developmental assessments at 4 and 12 months, and mother-infant interactions were observed in unstructured and semistructured situations at 4, 8, and 12 months. Significant differences were found in both mothers' and preterm infants' interactive behavior across the first year of life, extending the findings of previous research that had noted differences during early infancy. Additionally, preterms performed significantly below full-terms on measures of cognitive and language development corrected for gestational age. Results are discussed in terms of the persistence of interactive differences in mother-preterm pairs and the possible effects on their relationship and infant developmental outcome.

37 mother-preterm and 42 mother-full-term infant pairs were assessed at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months following hospital discharge. The psychosocial functioning of the families was assessed at 1 and 8 months by interview, infants received developmental assessments at 4 and 12 months, and mother-infant interactions were observed in unstructured and semistructured situations at 4, 8, and 12 months. Significant differences were found in both mothers' and preterm infants' interactive behavior across the first year of life, extending the findings of previous research that had noted differences during early infancy. Additionally, preterms performed significantly below full-terms on measures of cognitive and language development corrected for gestational age. Results are discussed in terms of the persistence of interactive differences in mother-preterm pairs and the possible effects on their relationship and infant developmental outcome.

Mothers' perceived stress and social support were found to be significant predictors of maternal attitudes and the quality of interaction with their infants, when measured concurrently across an 18-month period. However, long-term predictions were poor, as stability of maternal stress and support factors was only moderate. The quality of infants' interactive behavior was also affected by maternal stress and support, but only during the early measurement periods of one and four months.

Relationships between day care and attachment were assessed with alternative procedures: (1) hypothesized normal patterns of attachment were tested naturalistically in day-care centers; (2) day-care and home-reared children were compared in a laboratory setting. Naturalistic observations were conducted on 20 middle-class day-care children, 17--38 months of age. 14 of the day-care children were compared with 14 matched home-reared children in a strange-situation procedure. Naturalistic data confirmed hypothesized patterns of attachment behavior. Preference for mother over familiar caregivers was demonstrated both in a comparison constructed to bias results against mother and in a less stringent test. Expected heightening of attachment behaviors following all-day separations, and predicted age trends also were found. In the strange situation, there were very few rearing group differences in children's behavior to mother; the day-care group, however, interacted less with the stranger. Complementary findings from naturalistic and laboratory situations indicate that day care is compatible with normal patterns of attachment behavior.

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