Maternal competence profiles and their relation to language and socioemotional outcomes in Chilean children at 12 and 30 months

Abstract

This article examines similarities and differences in Chilean mothers’ competences organized into profiles at two moments and the associations of these profiles with children’s language and socioemotional skills. Mother-child interactions were videotaped during storytelling and free play contexts when the children were aged 12 months and 30 months. Ninety-one mother-child dyads were assessed with the Adult Sensitivity Scale (E.S.A.), the Evaluation of the Mentalization of the Significant Caregivers, the Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO), and Bayley’s language scale and FEAS scale for children’s outcomes. Profiles of mothers’ behaviors were identified in person-centered within-group analyses of six aspects, sensitivity, mentalization, affection, responsiveness, encouragement and teaching. Mothers’ profiles were examined for comparison between both ages and for relations to children’s language and socioemotional skills. Cluster analyses yielded three similar profiles for mothers at both ages, identified as highly competent, average competent and poorly competent. Mothers’ profiles were related to maternal age and educational level, and the mothers improved their profiles at the 30-month assessment. Mothers’ profiles were related to children’s language and socioemotional outcomes at both ages. These results are discussed in addition to their applications to promotion and intervention programs. Key words: Mothers’ profiles; person-centered approach; early infancy; children’s language; socioemotional skills.