Maternal parenting stress and mothers’ reports of their infants’ mastery motivation

Abstract

Mastery motivation is a psychological force that stimulates an individual to attempt to master a task that is challenging to him or her. This prospective longitudinal study examined the relationship between maternal stress, using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and infant mastery motivation, using the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire, for 150 mother-infant pairs assessed at both 6- and 18-months of age. Infants of mothers with elevated stress levels at 6 months tended to show lower mastery motivation at 18 months (standardized beta = −.46, p=.001). Conversely, infants with lower general competence (standardized beta = −.24, p=.021) and lower persistence during social interactions with other children (standardized beta = −.18, p=.037) at 6 months of age had mothers with elevated total stress at 18 months of age. Implications for programs which simultaneously intervene with child and mother are discussed.

Mother-Toddler Affect Exchanges and Children's Mastery Behaviours during Preschool Years

“…In addition to the relationship with mother–child affect exchanges, the fact that children's earlier mastery ratings were almost always the strongest predictor of their later mastery ratings might imply an evocative effect of children's mastery on mother–child affect exchanges. As one recent study indicated, infants' lower persistence and competence at 6 months were associated with their mothers' elevated stress one year later (Sparks, Hunter, Backman, Morgan, & Ross, ). Initial elevated stress of the mothers was also associated with infants' poorer mastery motivation one year later.…”

Mastery motivation in children with congenital hemiplegia: individual and environmental associations

“…It is also important to consider that parent responses could be influenced by underlying factors (such as parent mental health and/or distress), factors not investigated in this study. A mother's depression is known to influence her infant's persistence with tasks, and infants of mothers with elevated stress levels tend to show lower levels of mastery motivation in toddlerhood . Additionally, parents under stress often report their children as more difficult .…”

“…A mother's depression is known to influence her infant's persistence with tasks, 28 and infants of mothers with elevated stress levels tend to show lower levels of mastery motivation in toddlerhood. 29 Additionally, parents under stress often report their children as more difficult. 27 It is likely that these environmental influences interact with each other and their relationship with children's mastery motivation is reciprocal.…”

Maternal stress and young children's behavioural development: a prospective pilot study from 8 to 36 months in a Finnish sample

“…Furthermore, at this chronological phase of infancy, stranger anxiety typically peaks (Piaget, 1977); novel experiences for the infant at this time point may result in overt, distress, heightened vigilance, and increased demand behaviours on the primary caretaker. Reciprocally, this may manifest as maternally experienced stress (Sparks et al, 2012). Additional longitudinal research will facilitate the understanding of the directionality of this complex relationship and may offer more specifically targeted tools for child-caregiver interaction support in clinical settings.…”

“…have an impact on this dyad (Abidin, 1999). Maternal stress and maternal psychiatric well-being is associated with young children's behavioural development, such as greater infant reactivity to novelty, externalising and internalising behavioural problems, and motivation and competence in social situations (Keim et al, 2011;Mäntymaa et al, 2012;Saisto, Salmela-Aro, Nurmi, & Halmesmäki, 2008;Sparks, Hunter, Backman, Morgan, & Ross, 2012;Yaman, Mesman, van Ijzendoorn, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2010;Werner et al, 2012). Maternal distress may increase negative judgments about infant behaviour, and mothers reporting high parenting stress may be less responsive ('sensitive') to their infants' needs/demands (Pereira et al, 2012;Werner et al, 2012).…”