Fear of spoiling in at-risk African American mothers.

Full Abstract

Mothers actively ascribe intention to the behavior of infants. Mothers also tailor their responses to infant behavior based on conceptions of how each response will influence later behavior. Fears of spoiling an infant may influence a mother's pattern of responsiveness. Sixty-eight at-risk African American mothers completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, empathy, developmental expectations, and beliefs about spoiling. Mothers with greater concerns about the long-term impact of spoiling reported higher levels of depression, more ways in which infants could be spoiled, and inappropriate developmental expectations when compared to mothers with fewer concerns. The pattern of findings suggests ways that fear of spoiling may influence maternal responsiveness in high-risk groups and potentially lead to disturbed mother-infant relationships.

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Author information

Author/s: Smyke, Anna T (AT); Boris, Neil W (NW); Alexander, Gerianne M (GM);

Affiliation: University of New Orleans, USA. asmyke(-atsign-)tulane.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Child psychiatry and human development (Child Psychiatry Hum Dev), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-; vol 32 (issue 4) : pp 295-307

Dates: Created 2002/05/22; Completed 2002/06/19; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12022772, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
African Americans - psychology
Depression - psychology
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Homeless Persons - psychology
Humans
Infant

Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Middle Aged
Mother-Child Relations - ethnology
Multivariate Analysis
Parenting - ethnology
Self Efficacy
United States

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