Antecedents of Maternal Sensitivity During Distressing Tasks: Integrating Attachment, Social Information Processing, and Psychobiological Perspectives

Abstract

Predictors of maternal sensitivity to infant distress were examined among 259 primiparous mothers. The Adult Attachment Interview, self-reports of personality and emotional functioning, and measures of physiological, emotional, and cognitive responses to videotapes of crying infants were administered prenatally. Maternal sensitivity was observed during three distress-eliciting tasks when infants were 6 months old. Coherence of mind was directly associated with higher maternal sensitivity to distress. Mothers’ heightened emotional risk was indirectly associated with lower sensitivity via mothers’ self-focused and negative processing of infant cry cues. Likewise, high physiological arousal accompanied by poor physiological regulation in response to infant crying was indirectly associated with lower maternal sensitivity to distress through mothers’ self-focused and negative processing of infant cry cues.

Pathways by which mothers’ physiological arousal and regulation while caregiving predict sensitivity to infant distress.

“…That the relation between SCL and parenting depends on concurrent levels of regulation is consistent with prior research (Leerkes et al, 2015) and Dix’s (1991) assertion that affect undermines parenting if it is too strong.…”

“…Each of the cry processing measures described below demonstrated predictive validity to maternal sensitivity in prior studies (Leerkes, 2010; Leerkes et al, 2015). During the 6 month video-recall interview, mothers were asked to rate how strongly they felt 17 emotions (e.g., sad, concerned, sympathetic) during each interactive task on a 4-point scale ranging from not at all (1) to very strongly (4) using a paper questionnaire.…”

Maternal executive function, heart rate, and EEG alpha reactivity interact in the prediction of harsh parenting.

“…Perhaps we should have anticipated this, given prior evidence from the psychophysiological literatures showing that inclusion of cardiovascular and cerebral stress reactivity and self-regulation measures can greatly enhance the internal (i.e., construct) and external (i.e., predictive) validity of self-reported and observed risk and resilience variables (Compton, Hofheimer, & Kazinka, 2013; Zanstra & Johnston, 2011). The current results also are consistent with prior stress physiology research on parenting, showing that harsher or less optimal parenting is linked with greater stress reactivity and poorer regulation capacity in mothers (Joosen et al, 2013a; Leerkes et al, 2015; Lorber & O’Leary, 2005; Martorell & Bugental, 2006; Mills-Koonce et al, 2009; Skowron et al, 2011). The take-home message is that scientists and practitioners would be wise to take into account the broader system of behavioral and psychophysiological factors pertaining to stress reactivity and regulation capacity, when studying or intervening to change maternal cognitive self-regulation in an effort to explain or reduce levels of harsh reactive parenting.…”

“…Specifically, less optimal or harsher parenting is more prevalent among mothers who show greater sympathetic nervous system reactive activity (i.e., skin conductance, cortisol, heart rate reactivity) and weaker parasympathetic regulation activity (i.e., heart rate variability, respiratory sinus arrhythmia). This pattern has been found primarily in studies of mothers with infants or toddlers (Joosen et al, 2013a; Joosen, Mesman, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2013b; Leerkes et al, 2015; Lorber & O’Leary, 2005; Martorell & Bugental, 2006; Mills-Koonce et al, 2009), but there also are several studies with mothers of preschoolers (Giuliano, Skowron, & Berkman, 2015; Skowron et al, 2011). In addition to the simultaneous examination of maternal psychophysiology and EF, the current study addresses three gaps in the extant maternal psychophysiology literature.…”

Examining pathways linking maternal depressive symptoms in infancy to children’s behavior problems: The role of maternal unresponsiveness and negative behaviors

“…Alternatively, infant negative emotionality may prompt overtly negative responses because infant crying is aversive, and can elicit negative feelings toward the infant (Leerkes et al, 2015). Of most relevance, women with elevated depressive symptoms whose infants are high on negative emotionality may be at dual risk for compromised maternal behaviors.…”