APPRAISALS OF CHILD-BEHAVIOR BY MOTHERS OF PROBLEM AND NONPROBLEM TODDLERS

Mothers of problem and nonproblem toddlers rated videotapes of their o wn and unfamiliar children's behavior. They classified the behaviors a s positive, negative, or neutral, and evaluated the intensity of the p ositive or negative behaviors. Ratings did not differ by problem statu s; however, all mothers classified their own children's behavior as le ss negative than did an independent observer. Mothers also evaluated a ll children's negative behavior as less aversive than did the observer . Finally, mothers ''mistakenly'' classified less of their own childre n's behavior as negative and more as positive when compared to their b iases in classifying unfamiliar children's behavior.