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. 2011 Nov;20(4):718-740.
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9507.2011.00605.x.

The Relations between Infant Negative Reactivity, Non-Maternal Childcare, and Children's Interactions with Familiar and Unfamiliar Peers

Alisa N Almas  1 , Deborah A Phillips, Heather A Henderson, Amie Ashley Hane, Kathryn Amey Degnan, Olga L Moas, Nathan A Fox
Affiliations

The Relations between Infant Negative Reactivity, Non-Maternal Childcare, and Children's Interactions with Familiar and Unfamiliar Peers

Alisa N Almas et al. Soc Dev. 2011 Nov.

Abstract

The present study examined the influence of children's experiences during non-maternal childcare on their behavior towards unfamiliar peers. Participants included children classified as negatively reactive at 4 months of age (n = 52) and children not negatively reactive (n = 61), who were further divided into those who experienced non-maternal care and those who did not. Children were observed during childcare at 24 months of age and in the laboratory with an unfamiliar peer at 24 and 36 months of age, where their wariness, dysregulation and social engagement were assessed. Within the negatively reactive childcare group, children's positive interactions with peers during childcare at 24 months predicted lower levels of wariness towards an unfamiliar peer at 36 months. This relation was not significant for children not classified as negatively reactive. The findings suggest that the influence of non-maternal childcare is dependent on a child's temperament and the nature of peer interactions during care.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Model predicting wariness at 36 months of age from negative peer interactions during childcare at 24 months of age, controlling for total hours in care at 24 months and wariness at 24 months. Bolded path is free to vary by group. Dashed paths are held constant. Standardized path values shown for Negative Reactive Childcare Group (NR) and Control Childcare Group (C).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Model predicting wariness at 36 months of age from peer integration during childcare at 24 months of age, controlling for total hours in care at 24 months and wariness at 24 months. Bolded path is free to vary by group. Dashed paths are held constant. Standardized path values shown for Negative Reactive Childcare Group (NR) and Control Childcare Group (C).
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