Infant temperament, pleasure in parenting, and marital happiness in adoptive families

Citation
Ld. Leve et al., Infant temperament, pleasure in parenting, and marital happiness in adoptive families, INF MEN H J, 22(5), 2001, pp. 545-558
Citations number
53
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology
Journal title
INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL
ISSN journal
01639641 → ACNP
Volume
22
Issue
5
Year of publication
2001
Pages
545 - 558
Database
ISI
SICI code
0163-9641(200109/10)22:5<545:ITPIPA>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
Temperamental characteristics have been related to later externalizing and internalizing behavioral outcomes. To assess the relationship between tempe rament and the early family environment, we measured infant temperament, pl easure in parenting, and marital happiness via parent report in 99 families with a nonrelative adoptive infant, Perceptions of child temperament were assessed using two subscales of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ; Rot hbart, 1981). Mothers and fathers who rated their adoptive child as showing more Distress to Limitations (on the IBQ) reported less pleasure in routin e parenting activities;, this effect was mediated by marital happiness for fathers. Mothers reported less pleasure in parenting with infants perceived to be more temperamentally fearful (on the IBQ). The bidirectional relatio nship between temperamental characteristics and pleasure in parenting is di scussed,