| Description |
Sensitive parenting refers to the degree to which a parent responds to a child's needs punctually and appropriately. In contrast, insensitive parenting occurs when a parent is less attuned to their child's needs and often comes in two distinct forms: detachment and intrusiveness. Detachment occurs when a parent disengages from the child and appears uninterested in the child's needs. Intrusiveness, on the other hand, occurs when a parent imposes their agenda on the child, rather than responding to the child's signals. A growing body of evidence suggests that sensitive parenting aids in the process of learning for young children. However, minimal research has examined the consequences of specific forms of insensitive parenting, such as intrusiveness and detachment. We predicted that children whose mothers display high levels of intrusiveness and/or high levels of detachment would have lower scores on cognitive skills and language assessments. Participants for this study included 88 mother-child dyads consisting of 18-month-old children and their mothers. The mothers were 21-41 years old (average = 30.88). Maternal intrusiveness and detachment were assessed by coding observations of their interactions with their 18-month-old children using a set of previously validated rating scales. Children's cognitive skills were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, and children's language skills were assessed using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Results indicated that detachment was negatively associated with children's language skills. Since early language skills are a predictor of later academic achievement, social skills, and mental health throughout the lifespan, these results raise important concerns about how children exposed to high levels of maternal detachment will develop compared to their peers with more engaged mothers. |
