Relationship between early mother-child interaction and children's social competence development at 42 months old: : A longitudinal perspective(Paper & Abstract September 17th)

Abstract

Background: Early mother-child interaction is an important environmental factor for children, but there are only few observational studies looking into this in Japan. There is a need for research based on an observational and longitudinal study. Methods: This project, conducted in Japan, sought to examine the relations between children's social competence and early mother-child interaction and adaptation of 174 toddlers and mothers. The Interaction Rating Scale (IRS) was used to assess children's social competence and caregiver's parenting features when children are 18, 30 and 42 months old. Results: The results showed that early mother-child interaction was related to the children's autonomy, responsiveness, empathy, motor regulation, and emotional regulation assessed by the IRS. Conclusion: These findings show that early mother-child interaction is related to children's social competence at 42 months of age.