Parents’ physically performative behaviors during shared book reading: A comparison of mothers and fathers

Abstract

This research explores the physically performative behaviors demonstrated by mothers and fathers during shared book reading (SBR) activities with their young children. Separate observations of fathers and mothers reading with their preschool-aged child (Mage = 46 months) were conducted with 40 families. Video-recorded observations were coded and analyzed for the physically performative behaviors demonstrated by parents during SBR, including hand/body gestures, facial expressions, voice, pointing, and proximity to the child while reading. Findings from the Actor Partner Interdependence Model reveal actor effects for the relationship between parental physical behaviors and parental affect, but no partner effects. Results also demonstrate similarities and differences in the stylistic approaches mothers and fathers used during the SBR task, with mothers demonstrating more physical behaviors, and fathers engaging in more interconnected physical contact with their children. This research contributes to the existing SBR literature by providing original observational data regarding mothers’ and fathers’ physicality during shared reading activities and how these physical behaviors contribute to the overall quality of parent-child SBR experiences.