Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the influence of parental gender on their interaction with their infants, considering, as well, the role of the infant’s gender. The State Space Grid (SSG) method, a graphical tool based on the non-linear dynamic system (NDS) approach was used to analyze the interaction, in Free-Play setting, of 52 infants, aged 6 to 10 months, divided into two groups: half of the infants interacted with their fathers and half with their mothers. There were 50% boys in each group. MANOVA results showed no differential parenting of boys and girls. Additionally, mothers and fathers showed no differences in the Diversity of behavioral dyadic states nor in Predictability. However, differences associated with parent’s gender were found in that the paternal dyads were more “active” than the maternal dyads: they were faster in the rates per second of behavioral events and transitions or change of state. In contrast, maternal dyads were more repetitive because, once they visited a certain dyadic state, they tend to be involved in more events. Results showed a significant discriminant function on the parental groups, fathers and mothers. Specifically, the content analyses carried out for the three NDS variables, that previously showed differences between groups, showed particular dyadic behavioral states associated with the rate of Transitions and the Events per Visit ratio. Thus, the transitions involving ‘in–out’ of ‘Child Social Approach neutral – Sensitive Approach neutral’ state and the repetitions of events in the dyadic state ‘Child Play-Sensitive Approach neutral’ distinguished fathers from mothers. The classification of dyads (with fathers and mothers) based on this discriminant function identified 73.10% (19/26) of the father–infant dyads and 88.5% (23/26) of the mother–infant dyads. The study of father-infant interaction using the SSG approach offers interesting possibilities because it characterizes and quantifies the actual moment-to-moment flow of parent–infant interactive dynamics. Our findings showed how observational methods applied to natural contexts offer new facets in father vs. mother interactive behavior with their infants that can inform further developments in this field.
Highlights
In the last three decades, greater recognition has been given to the role of the father in child development (NIDCH Early Child Care Research Network, 2000; Tamis-LeMonda et al, 2004; Lamb, 2010)
The observation time was analyzed in relation to parental and infant gender using ANOVA
Our results showed no differences between boys and girls in the parent–infant interaction, regardless of the parent’s gender
Summary
In the last three decades, greater recognition has been given to the role of the father in child development (NIDCH Early Child Care Research Network, 2000; Tamis-LeMonda et al, 2004; Lamb, 2010). Wider involvement of fathers in the rearing and caring for their infants leads to increased opportunities for early interactions (Pleck, 2010). In this respect, the focus should be on, the amount of time the father spends with his infant and, more importantly, how he uses that time and the quality of the relationship, using objective measures (Yago et al, 2014). In the area of early interaction and attachment, researchers have been traditionally focused on the mother as primary caregiver, to which the use of the Maternal Sensitivity construct has been central (Ainsworth et al, 1974). The child’s relationships with other figures who share the role of caregiver, along with the primary caregiver, were an area of concern previously noted by Mary Ainsworth herself (Ainsworth et al, 1978)
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