Infanthood is a stage for early experience of life which has great effects on holistic growth and development and infants' development is a product of interactions between their own innate temperament and that of the person who socializes them. Temper...
Infanthood is a stage for early experience of life which has great effects on holistic growth and development and infants' development is a product of interactions between their own innate temperament and that of the person who socializes them. Temperament is bi-directional; infants' ideal development depends on how their temperament is harmonized with that of their parents. In other words, it is certain that infants' temperament and that of their parents affect each other, which is delivered through verbal and non-verbal forms of interactions to affect mothers' rearing attitudes and infants' growth. For this reason, this study recognized the need of a research considering mothers' temperament as well as that of infants and tried to examine interactions affecting temperament. To do this, temperament was tested in mother and two children of hers (a boy and a girl) living in Seoul to determine how mother interacts with an infant by similarities and differences in temperament in ten situations of daily life. The results of the temperament test indicated that mother was gentle; sister was gentle; and brother was picky. In terms of questions, the results are as follows:
▣ How does mother interact with an infant by similarities and differences in temperament?
1. How does mother with gentle temperament interact with an infant with gentle temperament in daily life?
In the ten situations, mother with gentle temperament showed trials and responses of letting greet, helping inquiry, taking interest, scolding, putting to sleep, participating in play, objecting or complying, presenting challenging tasks, teaching how to wash and praising, and presenting an alternative and an infant with gentle temperament showed trials and responses of welcoming and greeting with a smile, making an active inquiry, maintaining their interest or playing, turning off with a smile or fun, going to bed alone, suggesting a symbol game, verbally expressing and solving its own demands, performing tasks, washing itself, pushing or biting, confronting with mother, and accepting an alternative.
2. How does mother with gentle temperament interact with an infant with picky temperament in daily life?
In the ten situations, mother with gentle temperament showed trials and responses of turning an infant's interest, reproaching, soothing, neglecting or scolding, embracing, putting to sleep, making a response, neglecting or complying, presenting challenge tasks, washing, giving advice, presenting an alternative, and going away together and an infant with picky temperament showed trials and responses of crying or hiding in a room, hesitating or being irritated, following mother around, being a bystander, fretting before sleep, investigating things, leaving toys scattered, performing tasks, turning interest, playing with water, being stubborn, and accepting an alternative.
Based on the results of this study, the following conclusions can be drawn.
First, interactions between mother and an infant are affected by both mother's temperament and that of an infant.
Second, when mother and an infant have the same type of temperament, interactions between the mother and the infant are shown to be in a positive type.
Third, when mother and an infant have different types of temperament and, particularly, the infant has picky temperament, interactions between the mother and the infant are shown to be in a negative type.
Fourth, affective attitudes of mother with gentle temperament toward an infant with picky temperament are lower than those toward an infant with gentle temperament.
Fifth, in terms of similarities and differences in temperament, interactions between mother and an infant show the infant's temperament perceived by the mother and her attitudes toward the infant.