Transactional associations between infant negative emotionality and maternal sensitivity: Maternal emotion dysregulation as a moderator.

Abstract

The relations between maternal sensitivity and infant negative emotionality have been tested extensively in the previous literature. However, the extent to which these associations reflect unidirectional or bidirectional effects over time remains somewhat uncertain. Further, the possibility that maternal characteristics moderate the extent to which infant negative emotionality predicts maternal sensitivity over time has yet to be tested in cross-lag models. The goal of the present study is to address these gaps. First time mothers (N = 259; 50% White; 50% Black) and their infants participated when infants were 6, 14, and 26 months of age. Infant negative emotionality was assessed via maternal report and direct observation during standardized laboratory tasks, which were subsequently combined to yield a multimethod measure at each wave. Maternal sensitivity was observationally coded at each wave and mothers self-reported emotion dysregulation at 6 and 14 months. A random intercepts cross-lagged model with maternal emotion dysregulation specified as a moderator revealed that infant negative emotionality at 6 months was negatively associated with maternal sensitivity at 14 months, but only among mothers higher in emotion dysregulation. Higher maternal sensitivity was in turn associated with lower infant negative emotionality when infants were 26 months of age. The indirect pathway was significant, lending support for the transactional model. Implications for future research and prevention/intervention are discussed.

Within-person bidirectional associations between maternal cortisol reactivity and harsh parenting across infancy and toddlerhood.

“…Given that harsh parenting was associated across all three timepoints at the bivariate level, however, this lack of stability is likely due to the segregation of within- and between-person effects. In a similar vein, Bailes and Leerkes (2023) also showed that maternal sensitivity lacked stability from infancy to toddlerhood when the within- and between-person associations were segregated, although the measures were associated at the bivariate level.…”

Parental sensitivity and intrusiveness with mothers and fathers: Associations between parental behavioral activation/inhibition and infant temperament

“…Temperament has also been shown to affect parenting quality during early infancy. For example, infant distress is aversive to those who hear it (Leerkes et al, 2009(Leerkes et al, , 2021, and this negative emotionality may make it more difficult for parents to provide sensitive and responsive parenting responses (Bailes & Leerkes, 2023). Parents with certain emotional or personality characteristics (e.g., high depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and poor emotion regulation) may be more susceptible to the negative effects of infant distress (Crockenberg & Leerkes, 2003;Leerkes, 2010).…”

“…Several studies have attempted to identify parent‐level precursors to sensitive parenting, such as psychopathology symptoms (Norcross et al., 2020), parents' developmental history (Haltigan et al., 2014; Leerkes et al., 2020), and personality (Prinzie et al., 2009). Additionally, a separate body of work considers infant factors, namely temperament (i.e., emotional reactivity and regulation), in relation to sensitive and responsive parenting (Bailes & Leerkes, 2023; Parade et al., 2019). However, previous studies have not examined the idiosyncratic way parent‐ and infant‐level factors jointly contribute to the quality of parenting infants receive.…”

Parental sensitivity and family conversation: A naturalistic longitudinal study with both mothers and fathers across three time‐points in early infancy

“…These patterns of associations also apply to early parent-infant interactions. For example, in a sample of 259 mother-infant dyads, infant negative emotionality at 6 months was negatively associated with maternal sensitivity at 14 months, which in turn was associated with reduced infant negative emotionality at 26 months (Bailes & Leerkes, 2023). However, the extent to which these transactional models apply to links between parenting and early communicative skills in infancy remains to be tested.…”