Patrícia Alvarenga

Práticas Educativas Maternas e Problemas de Comportamento em Pré-Escolares

The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in mothers’ childrearing practices toward children with and without behavior problems involving externalizing behaviors (clinical and non-clinical group, respectively). Thirty mother-child dyads from both low and medium-low SES level participated in the study. Children were of both sexes, with ages ranging from five to six years. The dyads were assigned to the clinical or non-clinical group based on the children’s scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The mothers were interviewed about their childrearing practices in both structured and spontaneous situations. Content analysis of the interviews regarding the structured situations revealed that the mothers of the clinical group mentioned significantly more coercive practices than did mothers of the non-clinical group. The same trend appeared in the

Estabilidade do comportamento anti-social na transição da infância para a adolescência: uma perspectiva desenvolvimentista

The term antisocial is widely used in the literature to describe non-specific behavior problems such as delinquent behavior, aggressiveness, and oppositionist behavior. The aim of the present study was to describe and to discuss the concept of antisocial behavior as an indicator of specific mental disorders such as Attention-deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder. Also, we discuss the factors that contribute to the stability of such behaviors in the transition from childhood to adolescence and the losses incurred throughout development. A recommendation is made to broaden conceptual discussions about mental disorders using wider categories such as antisocial behavior.

A doença crônica orgânica na infância e as práticas educativas maternas

Estudos apontam que a presenca de doenca cronica orgânica na infância pode se constituir num importante fator de mediacao da qualidade da interacao mae-crianca. Entretanto, poucos estudos investigam as praticas educativas maternas em criancas portadoras de doenca cronica. Os cuidados diarios exigidos pelo tratamento da enfermidade, bem como a fragilidade fisica e emocional da crianca podem afetar as praticas educativas maternas. Participaram do estudo 40 maes, metade das quais eram maes de criancas portadoras de doenca cronica orgânica e as demais de criancas sem doenca cronica. As criancas eram de ambos os sexos e tinham entre 03 e 05 anos de idade. Os participantes foram recrutados em hospitais e pre-escolas publicas. Uma entrevista semi-estruturada foi utilizada para se investigar as praticas educativas maternas, examinadas atraves de analise de conteudo. Os resultados revelaram uma tendencia marginalmente significativa no grupo com doenca cronica a utilizar um numero menor de praticas coercitivas. Alem disso, houve uma diferenca significativa entre os grupos quanto ao uso de punicao fisica e privacao/castigo, indicando que as maes de criancas com doenca cronica utilizaram com menor frequencia este tipo de pratica. Os resultados apoiam a expectativa inicial de que as maes de criancas com doenca cronica seriam menos coercitivas quando comparadas as maes do outro grupo.

Práticas educativas de pais e mães de crianças aos 18 meses de idade

The present study investigated eventual differences in educative practices of mothers and fathers of 18-month-old children. Thirty-four families of different socioeconomic levels who had only one child took part in the study. The mothers and fathers answered separately an interview on educative practices involving six daily situations of the child. The content analysis revealed a predominance of inductive practices reported both by mothers and fathers, followed by coercitive and non-interference practices. However, no significant differences were found between the practices mentioned by mothers and fathers, or between the different socioeconomic levels in none of the examined categories. The results are discussed taking into consideration the repercussions of the appearance of assertiveness and of the initial phase of language development of the children on parental educative practices.

Práticas educativas maternas e indicadores do desenvolvimento social no terceiro ano de vida

The present work aimed at investigating relations between maternal child-rearing practices, externalizing behavior problems and social competence indicators of thirty-month-old children. The study involved 23 child-mother dyads. In the childs thirtieth month after birth, an observation of mother-child interaction was performed in order to evaluate maternal child-rearing practices, externalizing behavior problems and child social competence. The results support the literature about social development that relates child-rearing practices such as guidance, assertive control and positive parental involvement to social competence, and coercive and permissive practices to externalizing behavior problems. The work discusses the relevance of parental child-rearing practices for the comprehension of the social development, emphasizing the importance of child-rearing practices, such as autonomy authorization, intrusiveness and ambiguous control.

Práticas educativas coercitivas de mães de diferentes níveis socioeconômicos

The present study compared coercive childrearing practices between mothers of different socioeconomic status. Participants in the study were 40 mothers of children of both sexes, aged 5 to 6 years. Twenty mothers were of low socioeconomic status, and twenty mothers were of medium/high socioeconomic status according to the criteria established by Hollingshead. The mothers were administered a sociodemographic data form and were interviewed about childrearing practices. The results indicated that the mothers of low socioeconomic status exhibited a greater average frequency of responses in the corporal punishment category. The relations between sociodemographic variables and coercive practices are discussed, emphasizing the effects of schooling on the greater variability in the maternal repertoire for regulating child behavior.

O impacto do temperamento infantil, da responsividade e das práticas educativas maternas nos problemas de externalização e na competência social da criança

The study aimed at investigating the impact of children temperament, maternal responsiveness and maternal childrearing practices on children externalizing behavior problems and social competence. The study involved 23 child-mother dyads from different socio-economical backgrounds. In the babys third month after birth, child temperament and maternal responsiveness were evaluated. In the childs thirteenth month after birth, maternal childrearing practices, externalizing behavior problems and child social competence were investigated. Multiple regression analysis revealed that only maternal childrearing practices were significant to explain the variance in the externalizing behaviors and social competence. The work discusses the relevance of parental practices and the limitations of the evaluation of temperament and maternal responsiveness as predictors for the comprehension of social development.

Relações entre práticas educativas maternas e problemas de externalização em pré-escolares

Este estudo investigou relacoes entre as praticas educativas maternas e os problemas de externalizacao na infância. Participaram 64 diades mae-crianca, selecionadas em escolas publicas (68,8%) e particulares (31,3%) de Salvador, Bahia, por meio de amostragem por acessibilidade e tambem por indicacoes feitas pelas participantes. Os dados foram coletados em visitas domiciliares ou nas escolas. As maes responderam a uma ficha de dados sociodemograficos, a uma entrevista estruturada sobre as praticas educativas maternas e ao Inventario de Comportamentos da Infância e Adolescencia 4-18 anos. A analise de regressao linear multipla revelou que o modelo que incluiu como variaveis preditoras dos problemas de externalizacao a escolaridade materna, a renda familiar e as praticas negociacao e troca e punicao fisica explicou 15,8% da variância nos problemas de externalizacao. Discute-se o impacto da punicao fisica no desenvolvimento dos problemas de externalizacao e o poder preditivo do nivel de instrucao e da renda familiar em relacao as praticas educativas parentais.

Predictors of Sensitivity in Mothers of 8-Month-Old Infants

This longitudinal study investigated the impact of maternal mental health, including postpartum depression, and of maternal-fetal attachment, on maternal sensitivity when babies were eight months old. The study included 38 mother-infant dyads. The women answered the SRQ-20 and the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale in the third trimester of pregnancy, and the BDI, for evaluation of postpartum depression in the first month following birth. Maternal sensitivity was examined through an observation of mother-child interaction when babies were eight months old. The multiple regression model considering the three factors explained 18.6% of the variance in sensitivity, and only maternal-fetal attachment was a significant predictor. The results indicate the importance of interventions to promote the bond of pregnant women with their babies, which may even minimize possible harmful effects of postpartum depression on mother-child interaction.

Relações entre a saúde mental da gestante e o apego materno-fetal

Relations between pregnant women’s mental health and maternal-fetal attachment. This study investigated the relations among sociodemographic variables, pregnant women mental health, and maternal-fetal attachment in the third trimester of pregnancy. Participants were 261 pregnant women recruited from public maternity wards using a convenience sampling technique. Each pregnant woman completed a sociodemographic data form, the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, and the SRQ-20. Regression analysis revealed that the number of children (4%) and mothers’ mental health (4.2%) accounted for part of the variance in maternalfetal attachment scores. Father’s and mother’s schooling was not associated with this variable. Taking the four analyzed factors into account, a multiple regression model accounted for 8.2% of the variance in the maternal-fetal attachment scores. The implications of these variables for mother-infant bonding during pregnancy are discussed.