CHARACTERISTICS THAT HELP MOTHERS MAINTAIN THEIR INFANTS FOCUS OF ATTENTION

Disadvantaged mothers' use of interactive strategies which maintained their infants' focus of attention were examined at 6, 12, and 24 month s to evaluate for patterns in this interactive strategy and determine if patterns could be predicted from early infant and maternal characte ristics. Four distinct clusters were identified with mothers in each c luster increasing in their use of maintaining over time but differing in the age at which the increase occurred. While infants' biologic ris k was unrelated to cluster membership, more positive scores on mothers ' perceptions of child rearing history, child rearing attitudes, self- esteem, and social support when the infants were 6 months old were rep orted by mothers who displayed a pattern of high levels and steady inc rease in maintaining. More negative scores on these characteristics we re reported by mothers who displayed low levels of maintaining and del ays in increasing this interactive strategy. Results are discussed in light of disadvantaged mothers' ability to adapt to their infants' cha nging needs and early identification of mothers' who may have greater difficulty in the adaptational process.