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Parental Perceived Control Over Caregiving and Its Relationship to Parent–Infant Interaction
Author(s) -
Guzell Jacqueline R.,
VerFeagans Lynne
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00659.x
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , social relation , control (management) , social psychology , management , economics
In this sample of 66 dual‐earner mothers and fathers and their 1‐year‐old infants, associations among parental ratings of infant difficulty, parental perceived control over caregiving outcomes, and parental sensitive and directive behavior were examined during a triadic free‐play session in the home. Perceived infant difficulty was related to maternal directiveness for mothers with low perceived control. Fathers with low perceived control exhibited more directiveness, regardless of their ratings of infant difficulty. For both mothers and fathers, there was a negative association between sensitivity and directiveness but no association between sensitive behavior and parental perceived control. Although parents scored similarly overall on various other measures, mothers with low perceived control demonstrated more categorical thinking about children's development than other mothers.