The influence of complexity of maternal thoughts on sensitive parenting and children's social responsiveness

This study examined whether complexity in mothers' early thoughts of child development related directly to later child social responsiveness versus in directly via maternal interactive behaviors. Two hundred eighty-seven famil ies with a low socioeconomic status were evaluated longitudinally across 1, 2, and 4 1/2 years of age. The study included children known to vary in th eir early development to examine whether variability in children's early co gnitive and perceptual-motor skills were also important in understanding mo thers' parenting behaviors and children's later social responsiveness. As h ypothesized, the influence of early maternal thoughts on children's later s ocial responsiveness was indirect through its relation with mothers' warm s ensitivity at 2 years of age, which showed a direct. positive influence on children's social responsiveness at 4 1/2 years of age. Although variabilit y in children's early developmental skills did not directly influence their later social responsiveness, these skills did significantly predict mother 's use of maintaining, which was significantly related to warm sensitivity. Results demonstrated the importance of a parent's ability to think complex ly about children to understand the use of behaviors that promote more opti mal social outcomes.