Facilitators and regulators: psychometric properties of maternal orientation measures in pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: This research compared psychometric properties of three maternal orientation measures in pregnancy: the antenatal Facilitator Regulator Questionnaire (FRQ), the Placental Paradigm (PPQ) subscales, and the Antenatal Maternal Orientation Measure-Revised (AMOM-R), a modified AMOM developed for this study. Background: Maternal orientation is a well-established theoretical construct with growing empirical support. To direct future research, we examine relationships among measures and establish reliability and construct validity for each. Method: The sample of 230 pregnant women responded to an online survey gauging antenatal maternal orientation, attachment style and childrearing beliefs. Results: The AMOM-R had acceptable internal consistency and generated the most theoretically expected relationships. Women expecting their second or subsequent baby, who had planned pregnancies, and those not working full-time were higher on facilitator and lower on regulator tendencies (ps<.05). Women who endorsed more rigid childrearing beliefs were lower on facilitator and higher on regulator tendencies (ps<.05). Finally, women who reported higher anxiety over relationships and/or higher scores for discomfort with closeness scored higher on regulator tendencies (ps<.01). No comparable results emerged for facilitator orientation. Conclusion: We recommend the AMOM-R as the most robust antenatal maternal orientation measure. Findings are discussed with regard to sample characteristics and implications for future research.

Keywords:

• pregnancy
• maternal orientation
• reliability
• construct validity
• adult attachment

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a Macquarie University Research Excellence Postgraduate Scholarship. We owe thanks to Dr Alan Taylor for statistical advice and to the women who participated. We also acknowledge the assistance of online mother and baby forums: BubHub, Essential Baby, BabyCenter Australia, Raising Children Network and Single Mother Forum, as well as the Australian Breastfeeding Association and the Australian Multiple Births Association. The research reported does not reflect the views of these organisations.

Notes

aPPQ Regulator represents square root transformation of the PPQ Regulator subscale.

bEqual variances not assumed.

aFeeney et al. (2001, p. 234).

bSameroff and Feil (1985, p. 97).

cPPQ Regulator represents square root transformation of the PPQ Regulator subscale.

1. For the current study, in relation to the AMOM, we have divided the item content to create two separate facilitator and regulator subscales with unipolar response sets to allow for inconsistency in responses across maternal orientation domains.

2. Despite the acknowledgement by some women that they occasionally experienced the baby as an intruder or parasite (n = 31, 14.2%), and that they sometimes felt an unease at sharing their body with the baby (n = 44, 20.2%), very few (n = 2; 0.01%) indicated that these thoughts reflected a constant state of mind. This low rate of endorsement for persistent persecutory ideation accounted for the positive skew in distribution for the PPQ regulator subscale.