Mothers’ and caregivers’ interactive and teaching behavior with toddlers

Abstract

Interactive behavior of 90 Israeli toddlers was observed with mothers and caregivers in one‐on‐one free play interactions. Children were examined with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, and adults completed self‐report measures. Observations were coded for both the quality of adult–child interactive behavior and for the quality of adults’ teaching behavior. Toddlers’ one‐on‐one interactions with their caregivers and mothers did not differ in sensitivity, intrusiveness, limit‐setting and positive involvement and on measures of teaching behavior, with the exception of affecting, which was higher in caregiver–child interactions. Interactions with caregivers included more focusing and negative teaching behaviors (i.e. mismatches and commands). Whereas mothers’ more sensitive, responsive, less intrusive interactions were related to children’s Bayley scores, caregivers’ higher rates of intrusiveness were associated with lower Bayley scores. Younger toddlers with lower psychomotor scores, who were perceived by caregivers as fussy and unpredictable, received more intrusive and less sensitive care with less teaching behavior in interactions with caregivers. Different combinations of child and adult variables predicted interactive and teaching behaviors of mothers and caregivers.