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

    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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