Interaction of Mothers and Children from Lower-Class Families1

An experimental study of the facilitory and inhibitory behaviors that lower-class mothers use in the guidance of their preschool-aged children is described. The behavior of 40 mothers observed with one of their children was classified and recorded according to 17 categories every 5 seconds for 30-minute periods. Comparisons of the findings with those of studies in which middleand upper-class mothers and their child have been observed are reported. The findings suggest that, although sensitivity of mothers to criticism of child development experts is evident among different social classes, very real differences exist among social classes in patterns of mother-child interaction.