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Dyadic play behaviors of children of well and depressed mothers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Kenneth H. Rubin ,
Lilly Both ,
Carolyn Zahn-Waxler ,
E. Mark Cummings  and
Margaret Wilkinson
Kenneth H. Rubin*
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo
Lilly Both
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo
Carolyn Zahn-Waxler
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health
E. Mark Cummings
Affiliation:
University of West Virginia
Margaret Wilkinson
Affiliation:
University of Waterloo
*
Address reprint requests to: Kenneth H. Rubin, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1.
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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relations among maternal depression, security of attachment, and peer interactive behaviors in early childhood. Drawing from the literature, we posited that socially inhibited play behaviors in childhood would be associated with maternal depression as well as with an insecure mother-child attachment relationship. Forty-three 5-year-olds and their mothers participated in the study. There were 21 depressed and 22 affectively well mothers. Security of attachment was assessed via a variation of the Strange Situation procedure when the children were 2 years old. At 5 years of age the children were observed during free play with a familiar same-sex agemate. Results supported the hypotheses that social inhibition is associated with maternal depression and with an insecure mother-infant attachment relationship.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , July 1991 , pp. 243 - 251
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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