Description): The purpose of the proposed research is to understand the role of maternal emotion in parenting during social interaction with an infant. This goal will be realized by a systematic investigation of the associations of mothers experience, expression, and regulation of negative emotions with the quality of mother- infant interaction. Three different theoretical models will be tested, in which maternal emotion regulation is conceptualized as a main, a moderating, and a mediating factor, respectively, in linking maternal emotional experience and expressivity to the quality of mother-infant interaction. Moreover, an optimal model of emotion regulation is proposed, which suggests that there is a curvilinear relation between emotion regulation and the quality of mother- infant interaction. The proposed study will build on the existing research on emotion and emotion regulation as well as parenting behaviors in infancy using maternal self- reports and behavioral observation to achieve the following three objectives: 1) to investigate individual differences in mothers experience and expression of negative emotions and their associations with the quality of mother-infant interaction; 2) to examine the role of emotion regulation in linking maternal experience and expression of negative emotions with the quality of mother- infant interaction; and 3) to understand the role of infant characteristics in the relations of maternal experience, expression, and regulation of negative emotions to the quality of mother-infant interaction.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
1R03HD040187-01
Application #
6316297
Study Section
Pediatrics Subcommittee (CHHD)
Program Officer
Feerick, Margaret M
Project Start
2001-08-01
Project End
2003-07-31
Budget Start
2001-08-01
Budget End
2002-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$71,056
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Georgia
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
City
Athens
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30602