Differences in Chilean and USA Mothers’ Sensitivity Considering Child Gender and Temperament

Abstract

Maternal sensitivity is the ability to perceive, interpret, and respond appropriately and contingently to infant cues. The impact of maternal sensitivity on child outcomes has been widely documented in the literature. Maternal sensitivity is a dyadic construct influenced by various adult and child factors. The study aimed to analyze maternal sensitivity between mothers from Chile and the USA when their children were 12 months of age, and to examine whether maternal sensitivity differs based on infant temperament and gender as well as the country of origin. This cross-sectional study analyzed the relationship between maternal sensitivity and child temperament and gender in 147 dyads from two countries: Chile and the United States of America (USA). The dyads were evaluated when children were 12 months of age using the Adult Sensitivity Scale (ESA) and Rothbart’s Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Very Short Form (IBQ-R-VSF). Compared with Chilean mothers, USA mothers scored higher on total sensitivity, responsiveness, playful encouragement, and warm attunement. Mothers were more sensitive to their daughters than to their sons, and no correlations between maternal sensitivity and child temperament were observed. The results of this study showed that maternal sensitivity is influenced by contextual aspects as well as child characteristics, particularly gender. These results have to be taken into account for the future development of early intervention programs, including the diversity and specificity of each context and dyad.