Responsive Parenting in the Second Year: Specific Influences on Children's Language and Play

Abstract

In two longitudinal studies, relations between dimensions of maternal responsiveness at 13 months and children's language and play abilities at 13 and at 20 months were examined. We characterized mothers' responsive exchanges by assessing the targets of maternal responses (i.e. what child activities mothers respond to) and the verbal contents of maternal responses (i.e. what mothers said when they responded), and we asked whether subtypes of responsiveness would relate differentially to children's language and play abilities. In general, maternal responsiveness to children's vocalizations predicted children's language, and maternal responses to children's play predicted children's play. These findings suggest that maternal responsiveness can be profitably categorized into subtypes that relate to domains of child outcomes in specialized ways. The specific nature of mother–child associations in the domains of early language and play is discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maternal Responsiveness and Children's Achievement of Language Milestones

“…In the first year, children's exploration of objects, play, vocalizations, and actual bids to mother constitute prominent indicators of affect, attention, communication, and cognitive functioning. The extent to which children engage in these activities varies substantially, as do the responses of mothers to these different modes of childhood expression (Baumwell, Tamis-LeMonda, & Bornstein, 1997;Bornstein et al, 1992;Rogoff, Mistry, Radziszewska, & Germond, 1992; Tamis-LeMonda, Bornstein, Baumwell, & Damast, 1996). Mothers who respond promptly, contingently, and appropriately to their children's activities are thought to inculcate a sense of self-efficacy, motivation, and security of attachment in them (Ainsworth, 1973;Bornstein et al, 1992;Matas, Ahrend, & Sroufe, 1978;Skinner, 1986;Watson, 1985).…”

“…When maternal responsiveness is decomposed into different dimensions (e.g., responding to play versus responding to language), its relation to children's abilities is specific (Keller, Lohaus, Voelker, Cappenberg, & Chasiotis, 1999;Tamis-LeMonda et al, 1996). This suggests that maternal responsiveness may be more profitably studied as a multidimensional construct, with certain outcomes in children being affected by specific types of responsiveness at specific periods in development (e.g., Bornstein, 1989;Tamis-LeMonda, 1996;Wachs, 1992).…”

Individual Differences in Young Children's IQ: A Social‐developmental Perspective

“…For example, Hampson and Nelson (1993) and Meins (1997) reported that children who use more referential language have mothers who are less intrusive and who make more references to objects and repeat their children's nouns. Tamis-LeMonda, Bornstein, Baumwell, and Damast (1996) reported that maternal responsiveness to child activity at 13 months was related to productive vocabulary at 13 and 20 months. In a recent review of the effects of parent-child interaction on language acquisition, Meadows (1996) concluded that among Western children, those who experience warm and responsive parenting, and those who receive a large amount of verbal stimulation that is related to their own activities and utterances, tend to show comparatively rapid language development.…”

"No! Don't! Stop!": Mothers' Words for Impending Danger

“…Mothers increase the complexity of their speech with children's age and in response to children's growing language competencies (Hoff-Ginsberg, 1985;Hoff-Ginsberg & Shatz, 1982;Tamis-LeMonda, Bornstein, Baumwell, & Damast, 1996;Snow, 1972;Snow & Goldfield, 1983;Yont, Snow, & Vernon-Feagans, 2003). Our findings reveal that increases in maternal language complexity with child age and language occur even under situations of danger, when mothers might be expected to revert to simpler verbal communications that quickly get the task done.…”