“Good mothering”: Maternal attitudes and mother-infant interaction

Abstract

Two groups of mother-infant pairs, with infants aged 1 to 5 months, were recruited by child health nurses. One group (n = 10) of infants had rational difficulties, whereas the other group (n = 22) did not. The research team was blind to group membership. The mothers were interviewed about background variables, their cognitive-emotional orientation during pregnancy and early motherhood, their self-confidence as mothers, their satisfaction with support from their husbands, and living conditions. Mother-infant interaction was observed in à diaper change and à face-to-face situation. Comparisons between the two groups showed no differences with regard to background variables, while significant differences were obtained with regard to interview and observation data. The problem group reported less satisfaction with and focus on maternal role, less self-confidence as mothers, and less satisfaction with husband support and living conditions than the no-problem group. With regard to observation data, the no-problem group mothers and infants both showed higher levels of what was à priori regarded as desirable interactional behavior. Correlations between interview and observation data, calculated within the no-problem group, showed the same kind of connection between mothers' cognitive emotional orientation and interactional behavior as was indicated by the group comparisons.