MOTHERS AFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR WITH INFANT SIBLINGS - STABILITY AND CHANGE

To evaluate within-family differences in maternal affective behavior t oward siblings. face-to-face interactions were observed between 39 mot hers and their firstborn and second-born infants at 2 months of age. M other and Infant affect was coded on a 1-s time base with behavioral d escriptors. Mothers were more positive with second-born infants, and s econd-born infants were more positive than were firstborns. The siblin gs' affective behaviors were unrelated, but maternal positive affect w as both moderately stable between siblings and correlated with each in fant's affect, Thus, in the context of stable individual differences i n maternal positive affect, siblings experienced unique affective inte ractions with their mothers as early as 2 months.