Infant-sibling Interactions: A Window to the Intergenerational Transmission of Caregiving Behaviors

Abstract

Infant-sibling interactions were examined as a mechanism for understanding the development of responsive caregiving behaviors in older siblings. Twelve-month-old infants (M = 12.5 months), their 3-to 10-year-old siblings (M = 5 years), and their mothers (n = 26 infant-sibling-mother triads) were observed during separate 20minute infant-sibling and infant-mother interactions. Responsiveness to infant behaviors was analyzed using seven mutually exclusive, non-culture-specific vocal and non-vocal categories and sequential data analysis. The onset of caregiving behaviors was age-related, with siblings' responsiveness levels increasing and resembling mothers' responsiveness levels after age six. Infant-sibling interactions, non-culture-specific coding, and sequential analysis provide new techniques for examining familial interactions and the trajectory of intergenerational transmission as a function of child age and caregiver behaviors.

Other children’s words in the linguistic environment of infants and young children from distinct social groups in Argentina (Las palabras de otros niños en el entorno lingüístico de bebés y niños pequeños de distintos grupos sociales de Argentina)

“…It should be noted that it is uncertain to what extent and in what way the age of the child interlocutors may affect the quality of the focal children's linguistic environment. In fact, although Hoff-Ginsberg and Krueger (1991) showed that children under the age of six years produced less responsive language, others have shown that it is not only the age of the child interlocutors but also the time that the children dedicate to caring for their siblings which may impact the language that they direct towards the young child (Walker, 2018). The impact that sibling care can have on the language of the young interlocutors is particularly relevant, as other studies (Alcalá et al, 2014;Vogt, Mastin, & Aussems, 2015) have shown that it is precisely in populations that have characteristics similar to those of the impoverished semi-rural area where children tend to take care of their younger siblings, even from the age of four years (Maynard, 2002).…”

“…Cabe señalar que resulta incierto en qué medida y de qué modo puede incidir la edad de los niños interlocutores en la calidad del entorno lingüístico de los niños foco. En efecto, si bien Hoff-Ginsberg y Krueger (1991) mostraron que los niños menores de seis años producían un lenguaje menos responsivo, otros han mostrado que no es únicamente la edad de los niños interlocutores, si no también el tiempo que los niños dedican al cuidado de sus hermanos, aquello que puede impactar en el lenguaje que le dirigen al niño pequeño (Walker, 2018). La incidencia que el cuidado de hermanos puede tener en el lenguaje de los niños interlocutores resulta particularmente relevante en tanto que otros trabajos (Alcalá et al, 2014;Vogt, Mastin, & Aussems, 2015) han mostrado que justamente en poblaciones que tienen características similares a las de la zona semirural empobrecida, los niños suelen cuidar de sus hermanos menores, incluso desde los cuatro años (Maynard, 2002).…”

“…En un estudio reciente, Walker (2018) comparó interacciones diádicas entre niños de 12 meses y sus madres, y esos mismos niños y su hermano mayor con el objetivo de evaluar la responsividad de los hermanos y de las madres. Al analizar la incidencia de distintas variables demográficas, la autora encontró que los mejores predictores de los niveles de responsividad en la interacción eran la edad de los hermanos y la cantidad de horas dedicadas al cuidado de sus hermanos menores.…”

“…In a recent study, Walker (2018) compared dyadic interactions between 12-month-olds and their mothers, and also between those same young children and their older siblings to compare the responsiveness of the siblings and the mothers. When analysing the incidence of different demographic variables, the author found that the best predictors of responsiveness levels in the interaction were the sibling’s age and the amount of hours they dedicated to the care of their smaller siblings.…”