Mothers, infants, and individual differences in maternal separation anxiety: A short term longitudinal study
Abstract
While maternal separation anxiety (MSA) has traditionally been studied in terms of how it functions as a predictor variable, the present investigation explored relations between individual differences in maternal adjustment, infant pre- and perinatal health status, and infant temperament on level of MSA. The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of what variables influence differences in levels of MSA. 81 participants were followed from the last month of pregnancy (Time 1) through the first few months postpartum, culminating in a naturalistic separation sequence where mothers left their infants for 45-60 minutes with a researcher/babysitter. Measures of maternal adjustment were obtained at Time 1 and Time 2, and measures of pre/perinatal variables and infant temperament were obtained at Time 2. The naturalistic separation sequence was designed to improve ecological validity by testing mothers' reactions to separation outside of the laboratory setting. Level of MSA was measured through: (1) self reported attitudes towards separation (MSAS), (2) mothers' ratings of level of anxiety upon leaving their child (ESI), and (3) observers' ratings of level of MSA on departure and reunion. Infant health status and pre/perinatal factors, infant sociability and maternal adjustment (indexed by level of depression, trait anxiety, positive and negative affectivity, and social support) were used as predictor variables in univariate correlational analyses and hierarchical multiple regression analyses, to test main effects models, additive main effects, and interactive models. Results showed that for MSAS Subscale 2 (perception of separation's effects on the child) there was a main effect of maternal maladjustment. For MSAS Subscale 1 (general attitudes about separation) and the ESI score, multiple main effects provided additional predictive variance, suggesting an additive co-action effect of maternal maladjustment, infant sociability, and type of delivery/length of stay on these outcome variables. No evidence was seen for either additive or multiplicative interaction effects.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Wachs, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Developmental psychology|Psychotherapy
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