• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.129-139
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to develop criterion scores for the Korean version of the Maternal Behavior Q-set. The Maternal Behavior Q-set was developed as a means of describing maternal behavior at home. This Q-set consists of 90 items which are sorted to reflect the degree of similarity with mother's observed behavior. A mother's sensitives score is the correlation between this description of her behavior with the criterion scores of Maternal sensitivity. The criterion scores of Maternal sensitivity were developed by 10 judges who are cognizant in attachmet theory and maternal behavior in natural contexts. The correlation among each of the 10 judge's maternal sensitivity scores was grater than .72. The maternal sensitivity criterion scores developed for Korean mothers correlated highly with the criterion scores for North American mothers. And the interobservers' correlation of the sensitivity scores ranged between. .47∼.93. According to the items in the Maternal Behavior Q-set judged to be most like and most unlike the prototypically sensitive mothers, "When baby is distressed, mother is able to quickly and accurately identify the source" proved to be the most sensitive maternal behavior item. "Mother seldom speaks to the baby directly" was the least sensitive maternal behavior item.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.3-17
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• 1999

Maternal sensitivity and infant temperament were studied in relation to infant attachment security. Subjects were 47 one-year-old infants anti their mothers from intact upper-middle class families. Mothers sorted the Attachment Q-set (Waters, 1987, version 3.0) and filled out the Toddlers Temperament Questionnaire(Chu, 1992). Maternal sensitivity was observed in the home for two 3-hour sessions, and observers completed the Maternal Behavior Q-set(Pederson, Moran et al., 1990). Attachment security scores of the infants, using criterion scores developed with Korean infants, were 42, which is comparable to Previous studies. Infants who were securely attached to mothers showed more secure-based behaviors and compliance, enjoyed physical contacts, and showed less fussy/difficult behaviors with mothers. Mothers of girls were observed to be more sensitive to their infants' signals than mothers of boys. Maternal sensitivity scores were not related to infant security scores. However, maternal sensitivity was related to less compliance to mothers for boys.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.97-111
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• 2008

A total of 31 mothers of 5-month-old infants(18 boys and 13 girls) were observed and interviewed at home via a questionnaire format. Results revealed that perceived maternal parenting style had an effect on general infant general development. As mother exhibited more didactic and limit setting behaviors, the infants showed more receptive, expressive, and language development characteristics. Furthermore, the effects of maternal sensitivity on infant general development and language skills were also ascertained. The infants who showed more positive general development had mothers who interacted sensitively with them. Maternal sensitivity was the only factor that had a major effect on infant general development. The overall findings of this study indicate that perceived maternal parenting style and observed maternal sensitivity were found to have positive effects on general infant general development and language skills.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.415-426
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify relations among the parenting stress, maternal sensitivity to infant cues, parenting environment of first-time mothers. Method: The participants were 194 first-time mothers of babies aged 1-6 months who visited well-baby clinics in 5 hospitals. The data were collected from April 15 to June 15, 2003. Results: The parenting stress level was moderate with a mean score of 2.4(range 1-5). The parent domain and parent-child relationship domain of the parenting stress scale were significantly correlated with maternal sensitivity to infant feeding cues (r=-.178, p<.05; r=-.197, p<.01). Parenting stress was significantly correlated with childrearing environment(r=-2.19, p<.01). Parenting stress and childrearing environment were significantly different according to the educational level of the mothers and their prenatal care. Conclusions: Nursing interventions to reduce parenting stress in first-time mothers are needed to improve maternal sensitivity to infant cues and childrearing environment which foster infant development.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.16-24
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• 1985

This study considered the problem of whether the method of Lamaze education changes maternal attitudes toward childrearing, material-infant interaction and is feasible for Korean culture in nineteen mother. infant dyads. Among those mothers, nine were assigned experimental group who received Lamaze education at the period of 7th and 8th month of gestation, and ten were assigned control group who received obstetric routine care. Maternal attitudes were assessed with selected items from Cohler's Maternal Atttiude Scale. Maternal Play Interaction Scale was used during play session to evaluate maternal sensitivity, infant response and mother-infant dyadic synchrony. There were no significant differences not only between the two groups, but also between the period of pre-lamaze education and post-delivery on the Cohler's maternal attitude scale. Experimental mothers and babies scored significantly higher on maternal sensitivity and infant response. But no differences in mother-infant, dyadic synchrony were found. This findings mean that the effect of the lamaza education on the maternal attitudinal change related to be needed the change of cognitive structure is delayed while the effect of that on the maternal infant behavioral response showed immediatly. Modification of Lamaze method is necessary for practical use in our sociocultural system.

• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.47-57
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• 2016

This study investigated whether Korean mothers' emotion socialization beliefs are related to emotional functioning in children differing across gender. We interviewed Korean mothers (N = 100) of first graders (55 boys; 45 girls) about their sensitivity, their reactions to children's distress, and children's emotion regulation. Two components of emotion regulation were distinguished: regulation and negativity. Results revealed that mothers' proactive sensitivity and their supportive reactions were related to their children's regulation, whereas unsupportive reactions were related to children's negativity. Child gender moderated the associations between mothers' socialization beliefs and children's emotion regulation: mothers' proactive sensitivity was more strongly associated with competent regulation in girls than in boys. Mothers' unsupportive reactions were related to increased negativity only in girls. Results are discussed from a cultural perspective, focusing on gender differences in the links between maternal socialization and children's emotional outcomes in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.113-131
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• 1995

The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the relations between infant-mother attachment and maternal sensitivity, maltreatment, stress, and childhood experience, and (2) relations between infant-mother attachment and infant temperament. The subjects of the study were 55 14 to 20 month-old infants (27 boys and 28 girls) and their mothers in Seoul. In order to assess the patterns of infant-mother attachment, each infant-mother dyad was videotaped in the modified Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Each dyad was filmed for 3 minutes in the Questionnaire Situation of Smith and Pederson(Smith, & Pederson, 1988) to assess maternal sensitivity responding to infant's cues. Each mother also was interviewed by using a semi-structured questionnaire made by author to measure maternal maltreatment. Each mother was asked to complete three Likert-type questionnaires, containing Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (Abidin, 1990) to measure the maternal stress, Mother-Father Peer Scale (MFPS) (Epstein, 1983) to measure childhood experience, and Emotionality, Activity, Sociality (EAS) (Buss, & Plomin, 1984) to measure infant's temperament. The statistical procedures used for data analyses were correlation, one-way ANOVA, multiple regression, and Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ coefficient. The results showed that (1) mothers of insecure-avoidant infants maltreated their infants more than mothers of secure infants, and (2) in the multiple regression analysis, maternal maltreatment was predicted by maternal education, maternal stress (parent domain), and maternal childhood experience in relation to her own mother (acceptance vs. rejection).

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.49-66
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• 2000

Pregnancy is a task of creation in which a women mobilizes her self and the resources available to her in the generation of a new person. Through the pregnancy, a mother has formed the new human relationship with a fetus. Maternal-fetal relationship is considered one of mechanism making the relationship of mother and child. It is important to well-being of mother and fetus, too. The earliest interaction between a mother and her child is during prenatal period. Maternal-fetal dyad is unique and perceived interactions with the fetus make the pregnancy real for the mother. Maternal behavior is "instinctive" and is formed in early childhood by copy of the mother. But, Rubin argues that this behavior is an open intellectual system rather than a prepackaged bundle of traits. There is openness to new learning and a high value placed on knowing which occurs with silent organization in thought. Thus, nurses and other health professionals provide prenatal care that optimally is part of the environment in which the maternal-fetal dyad develops. Thus it is appropriate for nurses to increases their understanding of the dyad and to explore ways to enhance its development. This study focusses on the interaction ability and response of fetus, and the maternal-fetal interaction. The research of fetal responses that involve physiological changes and motor movement have been shown to coccur to both external sensory stimuli and to maternal emotional states. The fetus does also have sensory capacity to be aware of some maternal behaviors, and the motor ability to respond in a way the mother can notice. Thus, very rudimentary interactions appear to be possible. Maternal awareness of fetal activity was supported by several studies. More interesting to the present study are description of maternal-fetal interaction and the finding that there appear to be levels of sensitivity to the fetus involved in maternal-fetal interactions. First, recognition comes that the fetus is separate from the maternal self. Next, the fetus engages in. Lastly, the parent may describe active interaction with the fetus, believing that mother and fetus are communicating on a meaningful level. Several interventions, developed to promote more active interaction between mother and fetus, have been reviewed. In general, the parents were taught to stimulate the fetus and to notice the fetus' responses. This type of intervention might increase the mother's sensitivity to her unborn baby, and she may have a head start toward learning how to res pond sensitivity to the newborn infant. Research In the area of maternal-fetal interaction is scarce. Sensitive behavior is construed as an appropriate and timely response to a signal of need from another person, but no such signal of need can be claimed regarding the fetus. The highest level of maternal-fetal interaction, therefore, might be based more on maternal representations of the imagined fetus than on factual evidence of fetal participation.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.504-514
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the influencing factors of mother-infant attachment and construct a descriptive model that explains mother-infant attachment during the early postpartum period. Method: The hypothetical model of this study consisted of 8 variables with 23 constructed paths. The subjects of this study were 152 postpartum women. Data was analyzed to test the hypothetical model using covariance structure analysis. Result: The final model which is modified from the hypothetical model improved to Chi-Square 41.92, GFI .95, AGFI .89, RMSR .02, RMSEA .06, NFI .94, and NNFI .95. Mother-infant attachment during the early postpartum period was proven to be influenced directly by neonatal perception, maternal sensitivity, and maternal-fetal attachment and also indirectly by social support, maternal-fetal attachment and maternal identity. These variables accounted for 32% of the variance of the mother-infant attachment during the early postpartum period. Conclusion: It is necessary that the nurses provide postpartum women with an intervention using social support for improving maternal identity and alleviating maternal role strain. It can be helpful to improve maternal sensitivity and in the end it will facilitate the mother-infant attachment during postpartum period.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2009

The relations of mothers' attitudes regarding maternal employment to mothers' psychological well-being, mothers' parenting sensitivity and children's social competence were examined for mothers who worked full-time (extensively) from age 6 months of their children on, mothers who were not employed, and mothers who worked part-time or inconsistently during their children's early years. Longitudinal observations of 1,034 mothers and children in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care from age one month to first grade were analyzed using structural equation models. As predicted, mothers and children benefited when maternal attitudes were consistent with mother's actual employment status. Among extensively employed mothers, those with positive attitudes about employment had better psychological well-being; among mothers who were not employed, those who believed that maternal employment would have negative consequences for children's development reported better psychological well-being. The findings suggested that whether the mother's status of employment is congruent with their beliefs, not whether the mother is working or not, predicted the mother's well-being and their child's social development.