Maternal mediation of father-infant interaction.

Abstract

Fifty married couples with a firstborn infant participated in a study examining maternal gatekeeping and maternal facilitation of father-infant interaction. Home observations were conducted in which the families were videotaped in a variety of structured tasks. Projective data was also assessed by asking mothers and fathers to make up stories about five pictures that were shown to them separately. Questionnaire data assessing a variety of parents' attitudes relating to gatekeeping were also collected. The findings offered strong support for maternal gatekeeping, but only modest support for maternal facilitation in the mother-father-infant triads. Maternal gatekeeping was more salient in the domain of childcare than in another traditionally feminine task. A variety of factors related to maternal gatekeeping and maternal facilitation were explored. Maternal employment status alone did not significantly explain the variance in gatekeeping behaviors, however, both mothers' and fathers' perceptions of maternal criticism toward the quality of the father's childcare was a factor related to gatekeeping in a variety of analyses. Mothers who worked part-time were less critical of their husbands' involvement with the baby than mothers who worked full-time or who were nonemployed. The results are discussed according to a multidimensional view of maternal mediation, and directions for future research are suggested.