Emotion Regulation Among Nonmaternal Care Infants: The Effect of Separation/Nonmaternal Care Experiences and Child/Mother Variables

타인양육 영아의 정서조절: 격리 및 타인양육 특성과 어머니 및 영아 특성의 영향

The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether early child-care experience, alone or in combination with mother/child factors, was associated with emotion regulation. Participants were forty 12-18 month-old infants, their mothers and their caregivers. Infants were observed in the Strange Situation to assess the pattern of emotion regulation. Mothers were interviewed, given Questionnaires, and observed in play. Caregivers were observed in child care to assess the caregiving environment. There were significant main effects of good quality child care on open emotion expression and heightening emotion expression. Significant interaction effects revealed that infants were more likely to be open emotion expression when high maternal sensitivity /responsiveness was combined with good quality child care, or nonmaterial care initiated prior to six month of age. Infants were more likely to be minimizing emotion expression when low maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined with nonmaternal care initiated after six month of age, or more than one care arrangement. Difficult temperament infants received nonrelative care were somewhat more likely to be minimizing emotion expression. Infants were more Likely to be heightening emotion expression when high maternal sensitivity/responsiveness was combined with relative care. Boys experiencing nonrelative care were more Likely to be heightening emotion expression.