Abstract
Control strategies of 70 well and depressed mothers were assessed twice: when their children were of toddler age (Time 1) and, for 39 of the mothers, when their children were 5(Time 2). At Time 1 well mothers were more direct with their children, using more direct commands and reprimands, and fewer explanations than depressed mothers. At Time 2 well mothers used fewer direct commands than depressed mothers. Self-reported negative mood preceding the interaction in well mothers was associated with decreased directness at Time 1 but increased directness at Time 2. At Time 1 depressed mothers' negative mood was associated with a decrease in the use of explanations. All mothers used more unclear commands and fewer reprimands and positive incentives with their 5-year-olds than when the children were toddlers. Depressed mothers, but not well mothers, increased their use of direct commands when the children were older. The findings are interpreted in the context of complex interplay between mother's diagnosis of depression, self-reported mood preceding the interaction, and the developmental level of the child.
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This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Network on the Transition from Infancy to Early Childhood. Special thanks go to Marian Radke-Yarrow for her intellectual stimulation in every phase of the research process. We also gratefully acknowledge the work of the staff of the Laboratory of Developmental Psychology, involved in data collection and mothers' assessments: Barbara Belmont, Ana Polissar, Judy Stilwell, and Anne Mayfield. Thanks are also tendered to the following people: Ona Girnius Brown and Katherine Cleary for their input in the development and implementation of the coding system; John Richters for his comments on the manuscript; John Bartko, from the Theoretical Statistics and Mathematics Branch, NIMH, for his statistical guidance; Jean Darby Welsh for help with data management; Mary Parpal for her input in the construction of the Time 2 coding system; and Johnnie Mae James for her patient help with the manuscript.
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Kochanska, G., Kuczynski, L. & Maguire, M. Impact of diagnosed depression and self-reported mood on mothers' control strategies: a longitudinal study. J Abnorm Child Psychol 17, 493–511 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916509
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916509