Modalities of Infant–Mother Interaction in Japanese, Japanese American Immigrant, and European American Dyads

Abstract

Cultural variation in relations and moment-to-moment contingencies of infant-mother person-oriented and object-oriented interactions were examined and compared in 118 Japanese, Japanese American immigrant, and European American dyads with 5.5-month-olds. Infant and mother person-oriented behaviors were positively related in all cultural groups, but infant and mother object-oriented behaviors were positively related only among European Americans. In all groups, infant and mother behaviors within each modality were mutually contingent. Culture moderated lead-lag relations: Japanese infants were more likely than their mothers to respond in object-oriented interactions, European American mothers were more likely than their infants to respond in person-oriented interactions. Japanese American dyads behaved more like European American dyads. Interaction, infant effects, and parent socialization findings are set in cultural and accultural models of transactions between young infants and their mothers.

Mother–infant socioemotional contingent responding in families by adoption and birth

“…In agreement with other studies, we found that mothers were more responsive than infants in person-directed (Bornstein et al, 2011; Cote et al, 2008) and vocal interactions (Van Egeren et al, 2001), meaning that infants influence these kinds of exchanges. Although mothers are the more mature partner in the dyad (Kochanska & Aksan, 2004), these findings highlight the fact that infants also influence mother-infant interactions and mother-infant relationships more generally.…”

“…Mothers respond when their infants look at them or vocalize by encouraging social interaction (Bornstein, Cote, Haynes, Suwalsky, & Bakeman, 2011; Bornstein & Manian, 2011; Cote, Bornstein, Haynes, & Bakeman, 2008) and by speaking to the baby (Bornstein & Manian, 2011; Van Egeren et al, 2001). For their part, young infants have been shown to respond to maternal encouragement of social interaction by looking at mother (Bornstein et al, 2011; Cote et al, 2008), and they respond to maternal speech by vocalizing and by looking (Van Egeren et al, 2001). By 5 months of age infants actively participate in turn-taking exchanges (Belsky, Gilstrap, & Rovine, l984; Bornstein & Tamis-LeMonda, 1990; Kaye & Fogel, 1980).…”

“…By 5 months of age infants actively participate in turn-taking exchanges (Belsky, Gilstrap, & Rovine, l984; Bornstein & Tamis-LeMonda, 1990; Kaye & Fogel, 1980). Comparable patterns of mutual contingent responding have been identified in mothers and infants in multiple cross-cultural samples (Bornstein et al, 2011; Cote et al, 2008), suggesting that the synchronous meshing of core sets of infant and maternal behaviors is a universal component of early human development. Parental responsiveness to infant signals has been theorized to facilitate the development of a sturdy sense of self in the baby (Stern, 1985) and has been linked to a broad spectrum of positive developmental outcomes for children in social development, cognitive growth, intellectual achievement, and behavioral adjustment (Ainsworth et al, 1974; Beckwith, Rodning, & Cohen, 1992; Bornstein, 2002; Bornstein, Tamis-LeMonda, & Haynes, 1999; Coates & Lewis, 1984; Goldstein, Schwade, & Bornstein, 2009; Gunnar, 1980; van IJzendoorn, Dijkstra, & Bus, 1995; van IJzendoorn, Juffer, & Poelhuis, 2005; Watson, 1985).…”

The Specificity Principle in Acculturation Science

“…However, this dynamic depends on the domain and is not always advantageous. In some domains immigrants may maintain their culture of origin (e.g., religious practices in Foner & Alba, 2008; Ross-Sheriff, Tirmazi, & Walsh, 2007); in other domains, immigrants may be in the process of changing from culture of origin to destination (e.g., vocal interactions of parents in Gratier, 2003; knowledge of child development in Bornstein & Cote, 2007; restrictive childrearing attitudes; Chiu, 1987; Lin & Fu, 1990); in still others, immigrants may have completed a change from their culture of origin to resemble their culture of destination (e.g., personality in Güngör, Bornstein, & Phalet, 2012; mother-infant interaction in Bornstein, Cote, Haynes, Suwalsky, & Bakeman, 2012; Caudill & Frost, 1972, 1974). Caudill and Frost (1972, 1974), for example, observed Sansei (third-generation) Japanese American mothers and their Yonsei (fourth-generation) infants.…”

Cultural Approaches to Parenting

“…Samples in different cultures can differ on many personological or sociodemographic characteristics that may confound parenting differences. For example, parents in different cultural groups may vary in modal patterns of personality, acculturation level, education, or socioeconomic status (Bornstein et al, 2007; Bornstein et al, 2012). Various procedures are available to untangle rival explanations for cultural comparisons, such as the inclusion of covariates in the research design to confirm or disconfirm specific alternative interpretations.…”