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Exclusive early mothering and its alternatives The Outcome to Adolescence
Author(s) -
MOORE TERENCE W.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1975.tb00192.x
Subject(s) - psychology , developmental psychology , personality psychology , outcome (game theory) , clinical psychology , social psychology , personality , mathematics , mathematical economics
.— This investigation focuses on the later development, up to mid‐adolescence, of boys and girls (separately) who had had either exclusive care by their mothers up to age 5 or daily substitute care (“diffused mothering”) for a substantial proportion of their earlier lives. Findings from a longitudinal study are first presented in the following order. The outcome of the contrasting regimes, exclusive vs. diffused mothering, is reported for each sex at various ages from 6 to 17, and the validity of these findings is critically examined. The mothers' personalities and attitudes are then investigated as a possible co‐determinant of the observed outcome. Developmental patterns of behaviour tendencies, intelligence and attainment are next traced to discover when intergroup differences first appeared. Lastly, conditions of substitute care are examined, and evidence from subsamples cited on the apparent effects of unstable regimes, age of commencement, and group vs. individual care. The findings under each heading are subsequently compared with those of other investigators, a theoretical interpretation offered, future research needs outlined, and provisional conclusions formulated.