MOTHER-CHILD INTERACTIONAL PATTERNS IN HIGH-RISK AND LOW-RISK MOTHERS

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the extent to which mother-child interactional patterns in high- and low-risk (for child physical abuse) mothers were similar to patterns observed in phy sically abusive parents.Method: Ten high-risk and 10 demographically s imilar low-risk mother-child dyads were studied. Trained observers cod ed maternal-child interaction patterns in the home during five 1-hour periods using the Standardized Observation Codes system. Results: As e xpected, high-risk mothers made fewer neutral approaches to their chil dren, displayed more negative behaviors toward their children, and mad e more indiscriminant responses to their children's prosocial behavior . Expected risk group differences were not found in the number of neut ral instructions or positive responses, albeit the proportion of posit ive responses out of the total number of positive and negative respons es was higher for low-risk mothers. After control for educational diff erences, risk group differences remained in the rates of neutral appro aches and the number of indiscriminant behaviors made in response to c hildren's prosocial behaviors. Conclusions: The observational data ind icated that high-risk mothers display some behaviors similar to those observed in physically abusive mothers. The finding that high-risk mot hers made more indiscriminate or noncontingent responses when reacting to their children's prosocial behavior is consistent with a coercive model of child physical abuse. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.