Individual differences in the interactions of mothers and their mentally handicapped children

Kennedy, Gloria A. (1991) Individual differences in the interactions of mothers and their mentally handicapped children. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (16MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

That mothers of mentally handicapped children are more directive than mothers of non-handicapped children has become a major theme in comparative research, with widespread theoretical and practical implications. This study used a correlational design to explore the nature of maternal directiveness within a sample of 25 mentally handicapped children, aged 2-5 years, and their mothers. A 15-minute semi-structured interaction was coded for each dyad, using a behaviour rating scale. The major findings were: (a) while maternal directiveness was not related to children's readability (signals), it was related to but other maternal behaviours; (b) individual differences were observed in the way maternal directiveness combined with other maternal behaviours; and (c) maternal interactional style was related to both children's on-going behaviours and developmental competence. These results are discussed in context of existing evidence, drawing implications for future research.

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