RELATION BETWEEN MOTHER – INFANT INTERACTIONS AND MOTHERS‘ PERSONALITY TRAITS

Abstract

Background. A lot of studies emphasize the importance of early mother – infant relationships for further infant development, successful psychological and social functioning (Degnan, Henderson, Fox, Rubin, 2008). There are described many factors which explain quality of this relationship. However, there are not enough studies, that investigate relations between mothers‘ personality traits, which are most stable construct describing personality, and mother – infant interactions. Aim of this study is to identify relations between variuos aspects of mother – infant interactions during play situation and mothers‘ personality traits. Materials and methods . Participants were 26 mothers and their one and a half year old infants. Mothers‘ personality traits were evaluated by NEO Five Factor Inventory (Costa, McCrae, 1999). Videotaped observation of mother – infant free play and structured joint task was used for exploration of mother – infant interactions. Four major dimensions of mother – infant interactions were analysed: (1) mother‘s attention – directing strategies (Tomasello, 1992); (2) mother‘s cooperation (Ainsworth, 1969); (3) maternal feedback (Lewis, 1993); (4) mothers‘ emotional tone. Results. Several associations between mothers‘ personality and dimensions of mother – infant interactions were found: mothers‘ neuroticism was positively related to attention following strategy during free play and positive feedback during structured task. Mothers‘ extraversion was positively related to infant‘s attention switching strategy during free play. Higher extraversion was also related to less joyful and more irritable emotional tone during structured task. Mothers‘ conscientiousness was negatively linked to mothers‘ verbal cooperation and positive feedback during structured task. Mothers‘ openness to experience was negatively related to mothers‘ verbal interference during structured task and positively related to mothers‘ joyful emotional tone during free play. The findings of this study allow to confirm assumptions that mothers‘ individual personality traits are related to mother – infant interactions.