MOTHERS PERCEPTIONS OF INFANT AFFECT IN A CROATIAN SAMPLE - THE IFEELPICTURES ASSESSMENT

Recent work demonstrates systematic variability in mothers' perception s of infant affects in adolescent, depressed, abusive, and preterm mot hers (Emde, Osofsky, & Butterfield, 1993). This Croatian study, comple ted before the war in the former Yugoslavia, reports cultural differen ces and similarities in mothers' interpretation of infant affect in 10 3 mothers of healthy, full-term Croatian infants when compared to an A merican sample. The IFEEL Pictures (IFP) were administered to assess m others' perception and interpretation of infants' facial expressions. Comparisons of the IFP scores for Croatian and American mothers reveal ed significant differences in 3 of 12 affect categories, controlling f or education. Croatian mothers with different educational backgrounds showed significant differences in their perceptions of infants' affect s. Differences between American mothers and Croatian educated mothers were less marked than those between Croatian high-educated and low-edu cated mothers. Our work suggests that there are cultural differences a nd similarities in affect interpretation between Croatian and American mothers. If this finding holds, it suggests that studies are needed o f the effects if any, on mother-child interaction and child-rearing pa tterns, and possible differences in cross-cultural affect development.