The contributions of temperament and maternal responsiveness to the mentaldevelopment of small-for-gestational-age and appropriate-for-gestational-age infants

This study examined the contributions of infant temperament and mothers' pl ay behaviors to the mental development of 40 small-for-gestational-age (SGA ) and 32 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants. Infant temperament and infant-caregiver interactions in a play and teaching session were asses sed at 8 months, and infant mental development was assessed at 12 and 18 mo nths of age. Few group differences emerged in temperament or mothers' behav iors, and no significant differences were found in infants' mental developm ent at 12 or 18 months of age. Temperament and mothers' play behaviors show ed distinct patterns of association with infants' mental development within each group. For the SGA infants, reciprocal play and mothers' play quality moderated the relation between infant mental development at 12 months of a ge and temperament. Within the AGA group, temperament and mothers' play beh aviors demonstrated direct effects on infants' mental development. The resu lts are discussed in terms of a transactional model of development. (C) 200 1 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.