Early Mother-Infant Interaction and Infant Cognitive Status as Predictors of School Performance and Cognitive Behavior in Six-Year-Olds

This study examines the predictive validity of early mother-infant interaction for development in early childhood. Observations of the interaction between 40 mothers and their 3-month-old infants were used in multiple regression analyses to predict math and reading achievement, conversation, and WISC Vocabulary and Block Design performance at 6 years of age. Frequency and proportion of interaction measures were derived that represent types of maternal stimulation and responsivity. Frequency measures are counts of the occurrence of a given behavior, while proportion measures are the proportion of the mother's total behavior that occurred as a specific behavior. Percentage responsivity measures are the best predictors of child performance. However, type of responsivity is differentially related to cognitive performance. Proximal and vocal responsivity are related to reading and conservation, while distal responsivity to infant distress is related to math achievement. Results suggest that maternal behavior can be characterized along several different and conceptually relevant dimensions as these dimensions differentially account for aspects of early development.