Infant Crying and Maternal Responsiveness: A Rejoinder to Gewirtz and Boyd

Abstract

The criticisms leveled by Gewirtz and Boyd focus on 1 of 6 analyses upon which Bell and Ainsworth based their interpretation of findings--namely, cross-quarter correlations of measures of infant crying and maternal response. It is maintained that these measures were approximate, and that they were independent of each other in cross-quarter correlations. It is also maintained that the statistical procedures were appropriate to a small sample of subjects in naturalistic, longitudinal research. The three "illustrative" cases offered by Gewirtz and Boyd as ways of testing a contrary hypothesis are considered. These cases assumed maternal behavior patterns which, it is argued, do not occur. Finally, other evidence is cited, both from other studies and from within the Bell-Ainsworth paper itself, that supports the interpretation that Gewirtz and Boyd claim to have been unjustified.

A Review of How Researchers Have Used Theory to Address Research Questions About Fathers in Three Large Data Sets

“…An important tenet of attachment theory is that parents who are sensitive and responsive to their children are more likely to have children who are securely attached to their parents. Researchers consider children's secure attachment to the caregiver to be a hallmark of socio emotional growth and development in the infancy and toddler period (Ainsworth, 1973). Attachment theory also suggests that the thoughts and feelings that fathers (and mothers) have toward their children are linked to the quality of parenting (Ainsworth, 1973).…”

“…Researchers consider children's secure attachment to the caregiver to be a hallmark of socio emotional growth and development in the infancy and toddler period (Ainsworth, 1973). Attachment theory also suggests that the thoughts and feelings that fathers (and mothers) have toward their children are linked to the quality of parenting (Ainsworth, 1973). Fathers who have positive feelings about their child are likely to be more responsive and sensitive to their infants than fathers who do not have positive feeling toward the child.…”

“…The videotaped assessments were conducted using the same instrument with mothers and fathers, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care's Three Box Scales. These scales assess six parenting dimensions that are considered important indicators of what Ainsworth (1973) called sensitive parenting, including sensitivity, positive regard, cognitive stimulation, detachment, intrusiveness, and negative regard. In addition, EHS researchers obtained repeated assessments of father-child interaction through videotaped observations at 24 and 36 months.…”

Evaluating Parental Effects on Child Development

“…In laboratory experimentation it has been found that ignoring a cry leads to decreased crying (Etzel & Gewirtz, 1967), while at home, over a longer period of time, ignoring a cry is associated with more frequent crying . Such inconsistencies can lead to acrimonious argument (Ainsworth & Bell, 1977;Gewirtz & Boyd, 1977a, 1977c or sterile cross-paradigmatic controversy (Kuhn, 1962). Such inconsistencies can lead to acrimonious argument (Ainsworth & Bell, 1977;Gewirtz & Boyd, 1977a, 1977c or sterile cross-paradigmatic controversy (Kuhn, 1962).…”

Parent Education in the 1970s

“…(In fact, different results have been obtained in the home and in the laboratory; for example, the effect of responding immediately and contingently to an infant cry seems to be to increase subsequent crying in laboratory studies and to decrease crying in home studies [Ainsworth & Bell, 1977;Gewirtz & Boyd, 1977a, 1977b.) Most of these laboratory experiments used an adult experimenter as a parent substitute.…”