Parental Awareness: A Social Cognitive Explanation of Adolescent Mother-Child Interaction.

N

30

National Inst. of Mental Health (DHHS), Bethesda, MD.
Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (PHS), Washington, DC.

The role of psychosocial immaturity in the behavior of adolescent mothers remains unexplained. This project explores the validity of Newberger's Parental Awareness (PA) model which outlines the development of parents' conceptions of their parental role. PA distinguishes parents reported to be abusive from non-abusive parents. This study tests the previously untested hypothesis that, among adolescents, PA is positively associated with mother-child interaction. An age-stratified sample of 136 mothers aged 15-20 with a first-born child aged 9-27 months, was drawn from two urban programs. During two home visits, PA interviews were conducted and observations made of mother-child interactions. Three methods for recording behavior were used and data were reduced to 27 variables. Multiple regression analyses allowed controlling potential confounders prior to hypothesis testing. PA proved associated with more of the mother-child interaction variables than any other variable, including socioeconomic status, presence of mate, recent life changes and verbal ability. These findings suggest PA is an important developmental dimension for service programs which could either promote development or accommodate an achieved level of awareness. (Author/ABL)

1986

ED269686