Mother–Infant Person- and Object-Directed Interactions in Latino Immigrant Families: A Comparative Approach

Abstract

Cultural variation in durations, relations, and contingencies of mother–infant person- and object-directed behaviors were examined for 121 nonmigrant Latino mother–infant dyads in South America, Latina immigrants from South America and their infants living in the United States, and European American mother–infant dyads. Nonmigrant Latina mothers and infants engaged in person-directed behaviors longer than Latino immigrant or European American mothers and infants. Mother and infant person-directed behaviors were positively related; mother and infant object-related behaviors were related for some cultural groups but not others. Nearly all mother and infant behaviors were mutually contingent. Mothers were more responsive to infants' behaviors than infants were to mothers. Some cultural differences in responsiveness emerged. Immigrant status has a differentiated role in mother–infant interactions.

Notes

^aProportion of time per hour.

^bOdds ratio.

^c7-point Hollingshead (1975) scale.

^aLatina immigrant and European American mothers were older than nonmigrant Latina mothers, F(2, 118) = 11.84, p < .001, η² _p = .17.

^bBecause differences exist between countries in the duration, quality, and content of schooling, bicultural researchers adjusted mothers' years of schooling so that the scales were equivalent to the 7-point Hollingshead (1975) index. No cultural differences were found, F(2, 118) = 0.69, ns, η² _p = .01.

^cNo cultural differences were found, χ² (2, N = 121) = 3.38, ns.

^dOnly employed mothers were included; European American mothers worked more hours per week than nonmigrant Latina mothers, F(2, 50) = 6.14, p < .01, η² _p = .20.

^eLatino immigrant infants were older than European American infants, F(2, 118) = 4.12, p < .05, η² _p = .07, by 5 days on average.

^fNo cultural differences were found, χ² (2, N = 121) = 0.30, ns.

^g Hollingshead (1975) index; no cultural differences were found, F(2, 118) = 2.44, ns, η² _p = .04.

^hNo cultural differences were found, χ² (2, N = 121) = 0.24, ns.

* p < .05.

** p < .01.

*** p < .001.