Title

Communicative styles of mothers interacting with their preschool-age children: a factor analytic study

Authors

Authors

S. Kloth; P. Janssen; F. Kraaimaat;G. J. Brutten

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Child Lang.

Keywords

LANGUAGE-IMPAIRED CHILDREN; CONVERSATIONAL BEHAVIOR; MATERNAL SPEECH; YOUNG-CHILDREN; FATHERS; GROWTH; SYNTAX; Psychology, Developmental; Linguistics; Psychology, Experimental

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if mothers display identifiably different communicative styles in their interaction with their normally developing two- to five-year-old children. In order to investigate this issue an extensive coding system was developed, which assessed the structural organization and the communicative function of the speech of 71 mothers as they interacted with their children. By means of factor analysis three maternal communicative styles were distinguished: non-intervening, explaining and directing. In the non-intervening style there is no direct pressure from the mother on the child to respond verbally. The explaining mother is primarily concerned with providing information to her child in a way that gives the child little opportunity to take the speaking turn. The directing mother is mainly engaged in directing the child's behaviour by means of verbal control. The internal consistency of the three communicative styles appeared to be both satisfactory and related to relevant child and mother features.

Journal Title

Journal of Child Language

Volume

25

Issue/Number

1

Publication Date

1-1-1998

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

149

Last Page

168

WOS Identifier

WOS:000073643200007

ISSN

0305-0009

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