Maternal Regulating Behaviors Through Face-to-Face Play in First- and Second-Generation Chinese American and European American Mothers of Infants

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of culture on maternal socioemotional behaviors (affect and vocalization) following a socially stressful situation between mothers and infants. Participants included 47 Chinese American and 54 European American mothers who took part in the double Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm with their 16-week-old infants. Overall, the pattern of results suggests that cultural and acculturative differences are enhanced in situations that are socially stressful as emotion displays may be more salient under these conditions. Furthermore, patterns of maternal behaviors may not be consistent in the direction expected from a unidimensional conceptualization of acculturation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was partially supported by the Sackler Foundation.