Maria Lucia Seidl-de-Moura

Interações Mãe-Bebê de Um e Cinco Meses: Aspectos Afetivos,Complexidade e Sistemas Parentais Predominantes

Early interactions seem to be adaptive, it is fundamental to know them in order to understand human ontogenesis. This study compares data of observations of mother-baby dyads, analyzing the behavior of the partners, the complexity of the interchanges and their affective components. The participants were 56 dyads (28 with one-month old babies and 28 with five-month old babies), filmed in their homes in free situations. Interaction episodes were identified and analyzed. The results showed the effect of the factor type of dyad (one or five months-old babies) in four dependent variables that indicate complexity of the interactions. Differences in the manifestation of reciprocal affectivity of the partners were observed in the two groups. The interactions were predominantly face-to-face when the babies are one-month old, and the system of object stimulation is predominant when the babies are five-months old. This indicates a tendency observed in Western urban groups. The affective manifestations and the presence of interactions which are characterized by the system of body contact favor the formulation of a hypothesis of the presence of an autonomous relational pattern. The results confirm the literature about the possibility of interchanges in initial stages of the development, and the study contributes for the knowledge of its characteristics. The affective aspect is stressed, and its constitutive role in interactions is emphasized, assuming its importance in child development.

Brazilian Mothers’ Beliefs About Child-Rearing Practices

Mothers’ beliefs about their practices in different Brazilian contexts were investigated in this study. A sample of 350 primiparous Brazilian mothers from seven cities, each from one of the five geographic regions of the country, participated in this study. As part of a major project, mothers answered an inventory concerning their beliefs about practices of child care and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Factorial analysis revealed three factors, named Proper Presentation (the importance mothers attribute to parental practices oriented by socially accepted daily rules), Stimulation (the importance attributed by mothers to practices that stimulate their children’s development), and Responsiveness and Bonding (the importance attributed by mothers to the immediate responses to children’s needs and to a bond of intense proximity and protection).The sample studied valued most Proper Presentation, followed by Stimulation. Less importance was attributed to Responsiveness and Bonding. Mothers’ educational level was a predictor of scores on Stimulation, and fathers’ educational level was a predictor of scores on Proper Presentation. Some regional differences were identified regarding Proper Presentation. A general model that encompasses aspects of socialization for group interaction and also cognitive and social stimulation seems to be shared by mothers of the different geographic regions of the country. This model is influenced by educational level and cultural conditions. Future studies need to address the development of instruments to analyze Brazilian parental cultural models and the implications of these models to children’s development.

Brazilian Mothers’ Cultural Models: Socialization for Autonomy and Relatedness

Brazil is the largest South American country, with a population of 190,732,694 inhabitants living in 8,514,877 km2, with very distinct regions. There had been a population growth of 12.3% in a decade. Most of the population lives in urban centers (84%) (Brazil, 2012); in the decade of 1960 Brazil had an urbanization index of 44.7% of its population. Two decades later, 67.6% of the population was living in cities (see table 1).

Brazilian mothers' description of their children: dimensions of autonomy and relatedness

Development of the self is oriented according to cultural models, such as: interdependent, independent, and autonomous-related. This study aimed to investigate how Brazilian mothers describe their children and the presence of autonomy and relatedness in their descriptions. Ninety-four mothers with children with ages ranging from 17 to 22 months were interviewed. The results indicate that mothers valued children being intelligent, active, loving and caring. Children were described with more positive than negative temperament characteristics. No significant difference was observed between the proportion of descriptors in the Independence and Relatedness category. This indicates a tendency towards an autonomous-related model, corroborating evidence of previous Brazilian studies. The present study brings evidence to socialization trajectories of Brazilian mothers and contributes to the literature on parental beliefs.

Crenças de pais e mães sobre investimento parental

Abstract: Parental investment increases the chance of babies’ survival and ensures parents’ fi tness. While adaptive, it does not occur automatically and takes various forms, according to the context. Parental beliefs are part of those contexts and this stu dy aims to investigate how parents consider parental investment and their investment practices in their children. Fifty men and 50 women with children up to six years of age answered two open questions about their conception of investment and their practices. The answers were classi fi ed as fi nancial investment, emotional, basic care, intellectual, social-spiritual and family-individual. Men and women indicated that they most value and practice emotional investment. In general, mothers reported more investment than fathers, especially with regard to basic care. There were some inconsistencies between reported beliefs and practices. These results may contribute to the study of beliefs and parental investment, especially in relation to fathers who are not always included in these studies.

Human Development: The Role of Biology and Culture

This chapter discusses contemporary tendencies in Developmental Psychology, the concept of development in ontogenesis, and basic assumptions to study them. We assume a life cycle perspective from an evolutionary and social-cultural orientation. This perspective aims at understanding ontogenesis as based in our phylogenetic history and occurring in specific social-cultural and historical contexts. The inseparable relationship between biology and culture is highlighted, and we discuss the importance of considering groups from the majority world, beyond specific Anglo-Saxon North American and European ones. Recent research on different aspects of development are presented and discussed as examples of the perspectives adopted.

A análise da fala materna dirigida a bebês em duas etapas do desenvolvimento

A linguagem e considerada um instrumento de mediacao simbolica que caracteriza a especie humana e e fundamental nas trocas interpessoais e na internalizacao dos processos constituidos nessas trocas. Neste artigo foram descritas contribuicoes teoricas acerca do desenvolvimento da linguagem, e o papel da fala do adulto nesse processo. O modelo de Roman Jackobson foi adotado para analise de caracteristicas pragmaticas da fala materna. Foram transcritas e analisadas as falas maternas em 40 diades, em dois momentos do desenvolvimento do bebe (30 dias e 5 meses). Foram ainda analisados os aspectos afetivos e cognitivos dessa linguagem. Os resultados mostraram uma predominância da funcao fatica em ambas as faixas etarias. Houve tambem predominância dos aspectos afetivos em relacao aos cognitivos. Acredita-se que o conhecimento das caracteristicas da fala materna em etapas iniciais do desenvolvimento e a identificacao dos aspectos pragmaticos, que podem colaborar para o desenvolvimento da linguagem infantil, sao de especial relevância.

Culture and developmental trajectories: a discussion on contemporary theoretical models

This paper aims to describe, compare and discuss the theoretical models proposed by Patricia Greenfield, Çiğdem Kağitçibaşi and Heidi Keller. Their models have the common goal of understanding the developmental trajectories of self based on dimensions of autonomy and relatedness that are structured according to specific cultural and environmental aspects. They bring an important contribution to research in the area of Psychology that takes into account the role of context. Greenfield emphasises the importance of socio-demographic variables and social change. For Kağitçibaşi, family plays an important role in self-development, which is understood from two dimensions: agency and interpersonal distance. Finally, Keller contributes to understanding the biologically cultural nature of human development, considering phylogenetic and ontogenetic aspects. The integration and further methodological improvements of three models may have important contributions to the understanding of developmental trajectories in their universal, cultural and socio-demographic aspects.

Jovens e metas para o futuro: uma revisão crítica da literatura

En este trabajo se presenta una revision de la literatura sobre las metas de logro y las metas futuras de los jovenes, para identificar las principales orientaciones teoricas que guian los estudios y las discutimos desde la perspectiva de la Psicologia Evolutiva. Tres grandes ejes teoricos fueron encontradas en la revision llevada a cabo: (a) estudios basados en la Teoria de la Perspectiva del Tiempo Futuro, (b) estudios basados en la Teoria de Autodeterminacion, y (c) estudios dedicados a la investigacion de los factores neurales y cognitivos asociados con el desarrollo de metas para el futuro. Con base en las teorias de Descuento Futuro y Estrategias de Historia de Vida, propuestas por la Psicologia Evolutiva, sintetizamos un modelo diferenciado para el estudio del tema, con participacion de variables sociodemograficas, economicas y contextuales especificas.

Mothers and fathers' beliefs about parental investment

Abstract: Parental investment increases the chance of babies’ survival and ensures parents’ fi tness. While adaptive, it does not occur automatically and takes various forms, according to the context. Parental beliefs are part of those contexts and this stu dy aims to investigate how parents consider parental investment and their investment practices in their children. Fifty men and 50 women with children up to six years of age answered two open questions about their conception of investment and their practices. The answers were classi fi ed as fi nancial investment, emotional, basic care, intellectual, social-spiritual and family-individual. Men and women indicated that they most value and practice emotional investment. In general, mothers reported more investment than fathers, especially with regard to basic care. There were some inconsistencies between reported beliefs and practices. These results may contribute to the study of beliefs and parental investment, especially in relation to fathers who are not always included in these studies.