Carolyn Joy Dayton

Age and gender differences are prominent in the temperament literature, with the former particularly salient in infancy and the latter noted as early as the first year of life. This study represents a meta-analysis utilizing Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) data collected across multiple laboratories (N = 4438) to overcome limitations of smaller samples in elucidating links among temperament, age, and gender in early childhood. Algorithmic modeling techniques were leveraged to discern the extent to which the 14 IBQ-R subscale scores accurately classified participating children as boys (n = 2,298) and girls (n = 2,093), and into three age groups: youngest (< 24 weeks; n = 1,102), mid-range (24 to 48 weeks; n = 2,557), and oldest (> 48 weeks; n = 779). Additionally, simultaneous classification into age and gender categories was performed, providing an opportunity to consider the extent to which gender differences in temperament are informed by infant age. Results indicated that overall age group classification was more accurate than child gender models, suggesting that age-related changes are more salient than gender differences in early childhood with respect to temperament attributes. However, gender-based classification was superior in the oldest age group, suggesting temperament differences between boys and girls are accentuated with development. Fear emerged as the subscale contributing to accurate classifications most notably overall. This study leads infancy research and meta-analytic investigations more broadly in a new direction as a methodological demonstration, and also provides most optimal comparative data for the IBQ-R based on the largest and most representative dataset to date.

Empirical study of reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C) has been gaining ground over the past decade. However, much of this literature is focused on the supervisor perspective of what RS/C is, what makes it effective, and how it impacts the work of the supervisee. This paper, Part II of a two‐part series, presents a theoretical model of RS/C that was developed from the perspectives and experiences of supervisees who work with infants, young children, and families and participate in either group or individual RS/C. This qualitative study built upon themes that emerged from data obtained from 50 IECMH professionals in the United States who participated in focus groups or individual interviews aimed at investigating their experiences of RS/C. Data were analyzed using a Grounded Theory approach. A developmental and ecological theoretical model of RS/C emerged from the data that includes three domains of influence – individual, relational, and contextual – on the supervisee's capacity to understand and use their experience of RS/C in their work. These novel data contribute to our understanding of RS/C from the supervisee perspective. The theoretical model provides a framework from which to investigate outcomes, train supervisors and supervisees, and advocate for RS/C within agencies and programs.

Reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C) is a relationship for learning that embraces reflection and reflective practice strategies. It is considered best practice within the infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) field. Based on research with supervisors, essential components of RS/C have been operationalized and used to develop evaluative tools. Little is known, however, about the essential components that supervisees find most useful. This paper, part I of a two‐part series, describes the essential components that supervisees identify as fundamental and ways they believe their work is supported by participation in RS/C. Fifty IECMH professionals located in the United States who received RS/C participated in focus groups or individual interviews. Data were analyzed using a Grounded Theory approach. Essential components of RS/C from the supervisee perspective included supervisee feelings of safety, the development of trust, holding a non‐judgmental stance, being available and present, and consistency and predictability. Additionally, supervisees identified outcomes of RS/C that included components of professional wellness, personal growth, and infant and family engagement. This study adds the supervisee's voice to the identification and operationalization of essential RS/C components and elucidates outcomes of RS/C that supervisees view as connected to their professional role.

Despite the significant health benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and the infant, economic class and race disparities in breastfeeding rates persist. Support for breastfeeding from the father of the infant is associated with higher rates of breastfeeding initiation. However, little is known about the factors that may promote or deter father support of breastfeeding, especially in fathers exposed to contextual adversity such as poverty and violence. Using a mixed methods approach, the primary aims of the current work were to (1) elicit, using qualitative methodology, the worries, barriers and promotive factors for breastfeeding that expectant mothers and fathers identify as they prepare to parent a new infant, and (2) to examine factors that influence the parental breastfeeding intentions of both mothers and fathers using quantitative methodology. A sample (N=95) of expectant, third trimester mothers and fathers living in a low-income, urban environment in Midwestern USA, were interviewed from October 2013 to February 2015 about their infant feeding intentions. Compared with fathers, mothers more often identified the benefits of breastfeeding for the infant’s health and the economic advantage of breastfeeding. Mothers also identified more personal and community breastfeeding support resources. Fathers viewed their own support of breastfeeding as important but expressed a lack of knowledge about the breastfeeding process and often excluded themselves from discussions about infant feeding. The results point to important targets for interventions that aim to increase breastfeeding initiation rates in vulnerable populations in the US by increasing father support for breastfeeding.

Parenting group success begins with attendance. Using archival pilot data from 99 mothers who enrolled in the Mom Power (MP) parenting intervention, this study sought to understand the factors that influenced participant engagement and retention. MP is a group-based, early intervention program grounded in attachment theory that utilizes motivational interviewing as a core component to enhance program engagement. Study aims were to qualitatively describe the reasons why mothers were interested in participating in the program, including what they hoped to gain from the experience, and to quantitatively examine the extent to which attendance was associated with demographic, experiential, and psychosocial factors. The qualitative analysis of intake interviews revealed that mothers expected the MP intervention to provide a warm environment for themselves and their children as well as to support and enhance their parenting, and 95% revealed their hopes that the intervention would help them grow and develop as women. Attendance rates were relatively high, with 62% of mothers missing less than one group session. Quantitative analyses using multiple regression to test associations of demographic, experiential, and psychosocial factors with attendance rates were not significant. Results suggest that motivational interviewing may be an important component in promoting participant engagement efforts in parenting interventions. El éxito del grupo de enfoque en la crianza comienza con la asistencia. Este estudio se propuso comprender los factores que influyen la participación y retención de participantes usando datos de estudios piloto de los archivos provenientes de 99 madres que se matricularon en la intervención de crianza Mom Power (MP). MP es un programa de intervención temprana con base en grupos fundamentado en la teoría de afectividad y que utiliza la entrevista motivacional como un componente clave para aumentar la participación en el programa. Las metas del estudio fueron describir cualitativamente las razones por las cuales las madres estaban interesadas en participar en el programa, incluyendo lo que ellas esperaban sacar de la experiencia, y examinar cuantitativamente hasta dónde la asistencia se asociaba con factores demográficos, de experiencia y sicosociales. Los análisis cualitativos de entrevistas de entrada reveló que las madres esperaban que la intervención MP les ofreciera un ambiente acogedor para ellas mismas y sus niños, les apoyara y mejorara su forma de criar, y 95% reveló sus esperanzas de que la intervención les ayudaría a crecer y desarrollarse como mujeres. Los puntajes de asistencia fueron relativamente altos con un 62% de madres que faltaron a menos de 1 sesión de grupo. Los análisis cuantitativos usando la regresión múltiple para probar asociaciones de factores demográficos, de experiencia y sicosociales con respecto a la asistencia, no fueron significativos. Los resultados sugieren que la entrevista motivacional pudiera ser un componente importante para promover los esfuerzos comprometidos del participante en las intervenciones de crianza. Le succès d'un groupe de parentage commence par la présence. En utilisant les archives des données pilotes de 99 mères s’étant inscrites à l'intervention de parentage Pouvoir Maman (en anglais [MP]) cette étude a cherché à comprendre les facteurs qui ont influencé l'engagement des participantes et leur rétention. MP est un programme d'intervention précoce basé sur un groupe, fondé dans la théorie de l'attachement qui utilise des entretiens de motivation comme composante essentielle afin d'améliorer l'engagement avec le programme. Les buts de l’étude étaient de décrire de manière qualitative les raisons pour lesquelles les mères étaient intéressées à participer à ce programme, y compris ce qu'elles espéraient gagner de cette expérience, ainsi que d'examiner de manière quantitative dans quelle mesure la présence était liée à des facteurs démographiques, expérientiels ou psychosociaux. L'analyse qualitative des entretiens initiaux d'admission ont révélé que les mères s'attendaient à ce que l'intervention MP leur offre, à elles et à leurs enfants, un environnement chaleureux pour soutenir et améliorer leur parentage, et 95% d'entre elles ont révélé leurs espoirs que l'intervention les aideraient à grandir et à se développer en tant que femmes. Les taux de présence ont été relativement élevés avec 62% des mères ratant moins d'une session de groupe. Les analyses quantitatives utilisant une régression multiple pour tester les liens des facteurs démographiques, expérientiels et psychosociaux avec les taux de présence n'ont rien donné d'important. Les résultats suggèrent que l'entretien de motivation pourrait s'avérer être la composante la plus importante dans la promotion des effets d'engagement des participantes dans les interventions de parentage. Der Erfolg einer Elterngruppe beginnt mit der Teilnahme. Mit Hilfe von archivalischen Pilotdaten von 99 Müttern, die sich für die „Mom Power“ (MP) Erziehungsintervention angemeldet hatten, zielte diese Studie auf ein Verständnis der Faktoren, die das Engagement und die Retention der Teilnehmer beeinflussten. MP ist ein gruppenbasiertes Frühinterventionsprogramm, das in der Bindungstheorie verankert ist und Motivationsbefragungen als Kernkomponente zur Verbesserung der Beteiligung am Programm nutzt. Studienziele umfassten die qualitative Beschreibung der Gründe, warum die Mütter an der Programmteilnahme interessiert waren, einschließlich dessen, was sie aus der Erfahrung zu gewinnen hofften; und quantitativ zu untersuchen, inwieweit die Teilnahme mit demographischen, erfahrungsbezogenen und psychosozialen Faktoren verbunden ist. Die qualitative Analyse der Interviews ergab, dass die Mütter erwarteten, dass die MP-Intervention ein warmes Umfeld für sich und ihre Kinder...

Parental responses to their children are crucially influenced by stress. However, brain-based mechanistic understanding of the adverse effects of parenting stress and benefits of therapeutic interventions is lacking. We studied maternal brain responses to salient child signals as a function of Mom Power (MP), an attachment-based parenting intervention established to decrease maternal distress. Twenty-nine mothers underwent two functional magnetic resonance imaging brain scans during a baby-cry task designed to solicit maternal responses to child's or self's distress signals. Between scans, mothers were pseudorandomly assigned to either MP (n = 14) or control (n = 15) with groups balanced for depression. Compared to control, MP decreased parenting stress and increased child-focused responses in social brain areas highlighted by the precuneus and its functional connectivity with subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, which are key components of reflective self-awareness and decision-making neurocircuitry. Furthermore, over 13 weeks, reduction in parenting stress was related to increasing child- versus self-focused baby-cry responses in amygdala–temporal pole functional connectivity, which may mediate maternal ability to take her child's perspective. Although replication in larger samples is needed, the results of this first parental-brain intervention study demonstrate robust stress-related brain circuits for maternal care that can be modulated by psychotherapy.