PREGNANT AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEENAGERS EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR INFANTS TEMPERAMENT - INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL NETWORK INFLUENCES

Factors associated with pregnant teenagers' expectations of their infa nts' temperament were examined. A total of 126 pregnant African Americ an teenagers were included in the study, all of whom were expecting th eir first baby. The teenagers' expectations for their infants' tempera ment was assessed using Mebert and Kalinowski's (1986) modified versio n of the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire (ICQ). Pregnant teenager s who were anxious and/or depressed tended to expect their infants to have more difficult temperaments. In addition, those teenagers who wer e more satisfied with current support resources and perceived their ma ternal relationships as more warm and accepting tended to have more po sitive expectations of their infants' temperament. Finally, expectant teends who held more accurate beliefs and acknowledge about infant dev elopment and milestones had more positive expectations of their infant s. Implications of these findings for future research and intervention are discussed.