Parent-child interactions: Observer effects and social class differences

Abstract

This study investigated observer reactivity in parent-child interactions and effects of social class status on that reactivity. Twenty-eight mother-child pairs, representing the middle and lower social classes, were observed under both informed and uninformed conditions in a laboratory setting. The observer's presence increased the frequency of maternal behaviors and maximized “good parent” behaviors. Middle-class mothers were less critical, less directive, and played more with their children than lower-class mothers. Middle- and lower-class mothers displayed a comparable degree of reactivity to the observer's presence.