mainly by ’provide stable base’ and only partly by ’support manipulation’. Mothers of the youngest group of infants showed the same tendency as
before: they engaged in less ’provide stable base’ than the other groups, which brought ’provide stable base’ closer to the level of
’support manipulation’.
Modify sub-categories
Since the majority of modifying activities were performed equally by ’reveal object’s property' and 'create discovery environment’, I
shall discuss first these two together, while the other sub-categories will be considered later.
Figure 3.21 shows that ’reveal object’s property’ does not undergo a change in its pattern of distribution throughout the period of 6 to 12 months, even though the frequency changes between 6 to 9 months and 9|
to 12 months. After 12 months the pattern becomes irregular. This tendency, however, was found to be statistically insignificant. The pattern of ’create discovery environment’ is more irregular but, again, no significant changes from month to month were observed.
Regarding the four groups, as we can see from Figure 3.12, group B had the lowest frequency of ’reveal object’s property’ and groups B and D had the lowest frequency of 'create discovery environment’. However, two-way anova showed no age effect and not category effect. Since no age effect was found, it follows that the functions of 'reveal object’s
property’ and ’create discovery environment' are not performed differently with respect to development progresses. The lack of a signficant difference between the two categories also indicates that ’modify’ was achieved by both forms to an equal extent. For the two groups, Figure 3.20 shows
A V E R A G E FRE QUEN CY
A
V
E
R
A
G
E
FRE QU EN CY AGE IN MONTHSFigure 3*2*1 Monthly distribution of 'reveal object's property'
;nd 'create discovery' for the 19 mothers
AGE IN MONTHS
property' was slightly greater than 'create discovery environment', with both groups having an almost equal amount of both. Two-way anova showed no age effect, no category effect and no interaction.
Figure 3.22 shows the distribution of the other sub-categories of 'modify'. Since the three had low frequencies, the enlarged scale allows a better examination of the differences between their patterns.
Concerning 'assist', it follows an irregular pattern except on the period of 9 to 12 months. 'Demonstrate' and 'teach' have an irregular pattern throughout the whole period. However, like the other categories, none of these three showed significant monthly changes, although there was a significant transitional change in 'assist' between 12 and 12-j months (t = 2.86, pZ .05) and in 'teach' between 9 and 9-^ months (t = 6.30, p<^.005). This means that after age 12 months 'assist' gains importance to the way mothers modify their infants' activities, in that significantly more assistance is given to the infants from that age onwards. Similarly, teaching becomes less important after the infants are 9^- months. These two periods mark important developmental changes since changes in maternal behaviour become significant.
Concerning the four groups on 'assist', 'demonstrate' and 'teach', figure 3.12 shows that the frequency of 'assist' and 'demonstrate' changes with age, while 'demonstrate' does not change. However, two-way anova showed no age effect for these categories, and from this we can infer that the categories fulfil similar developmental functions.
A very significant category effect was found, F (2,30) = 13.01; p< 0.001, in favour of 'teach' and 'assist', for all groups except group B. In the case of group B, 'teach' was predominant over 'assist'
and 'demonstrate'. Thus it follows that among the three categories, teaching is the most common form of modifying, followed by assisting.
From figure 3.20 it can be seen that for the two groups 'assist' and
’teach’ occurred at similar rates,, while ’demonstrate’ was less frequent.
Figure 3.20 shows that ’assist’ and ’teach’ occurred at similar rates, while ’demonstrate’ was less frequent. These categories were more common among mothers in group 2 than in group 1 . However, the differences between the groups were not significant. A category effect was found: F (2,32) = 6.58; p<0.005 and there was an age/category interaction; F = 8.64; p< 0.001. This implies that mothers of younger infants
(group 1) do not discriminate between ’assist’, ’demonstrate’ and ’teach’ while mothers of older infants do discriminate by assisting more than demonstrating or teaching.
Level 4
’Provide Stable Base’ sub-categories
Figure 3.12 shows that ’eliminate undesirable behaviour’ did not change with age, except in the case of group A where it was least frequent. On the other hand, ’participate from background’ showed age changes; it was least frequent for group A and most frequent for group D. Two-way anova showed a significant age effect (F(3,15) = 18.58; p< O.OOOfg and an age/category interaction (F(3,15) = 16.55; p< 0.0001), which, as Figure 3.23 shows, is due to a steady increase in the discrepancy between the two activities. This discrepancy between the rate of
’eliminate’ and the rate of ’participate’ was least for group A, similar for groups B and C, and greatest for group D. Separate one-way anova showed that the age differences on ’eliminate’ were non-significant, while ’participate' showed significant age changes (F(3,I5) = 18.58; p< 0.0001). Furthermore, the frequency of ’participate from background’ greatly exceeded that of ’eliminate’ (F(l ,15) = 501.23; p< 0.0001). Therefore, as infants get older, the mothers discriminate more between
the forms of providing stable base’ increasing ’participate from background’ at a greater rate than they ’eliminate’. The findings also indicate
that for all groups the majority of ’provide stable base’ acts consisted of ’articipate from background’. This result exemplifies another occurrence of the pattern of predominance of one form of parental support over
the others, and the increase in the frequency of that form with age progression.
KEY
□...□
group
group
gfOuP
group
A
B
C
D
Figure 3.23 Interaction between inf.nts' age ;nd the frequency of the two categories of ’eliminate’ and ’participate’
1 Support-manipulation1 sub-categories
Figure 3.12 shows little age changes in ’support contact’ and ’support appraoch’. Two-way anova showed no significant age effect which means that the function of these two activities is similar at all
four age ranges. On the other hand, a highly significant category effect was found, F (1,15) = 69.45; p< 0.0001. Therefore, in supporting
manipulation of toys, mothers rely on supporting contact almost exclusively. Although ’support manipulation’ was less predominant than ’provide stabel base’, yet for its fulfilment it consisted largely of one form. This emphasises the pattern of parental support where functions are fulfilled by one form more than the others.
’Assist’ sub-categories
From Figure 3.12 we can see that both ’facilitate manipulation’ and ’feedback’ changed with age. Overall, there was a signfiicant age
effect at 0.05 level due to age differences on ’facilitate’ (F = 3.2; p<0.05). It follows that the age changes on ’assist’ were brought about by changes in ’facilitate’ only.
Group D mothers showed the highest rate of ’facilitate’ as well as the highest rate of ’feedback’. This indicates that the older the
infant, the more facilitating and feeback they receive presumably because their play is more goal-directed.
'Reveal Object’s Property’ sub-categories
As we can see from Figure 3.12, the frequency of ’describe’ and 'fulfil function’ changes with age. Such changes were not statistically significant, although there was a tendency for group D mothers to describe most and groups A and C mothers to fulfil function more than the other
two groups.
’Describe’ and 'fulfil function' differed significantly in their rates (F = 38.27; p< 0.0001), where ’fulfil function’ was predominant over ’describe'. This pattern was manifest for all groups except group D The lack of difference between 'describe' and 'fulfil' for this group, together with their having the highest rate of ’describe' indicate that mothers of older infants emphasise the abstract qualities of objects, which may enhance the linguistic development of their infants.
'Create Discovery Environment' sub-categories
Figure 3.12 shows age changes on 'elicit', ’defer', and ’games'. However, two-way anova showed no age effect. It follows then that forms of achieving 'create discovery environment' were not affected by age, although there was a tendency for mothers to place greater demands on older infants, by requiring them to perform more tasks on their own ('defer’).
Most eliciting occurred in group A, probably due to the young infants' need for direct prompting.
'Demonstrate' sub-categories
Figure 3.12 shows that mothers demonstrated their actions by ' 'modelling-and-idealising', as well as by 'simplifying'. For the other groups, 'demonstrating' was performed only by 'modelling-and- idealising'. Due to the very low frequency of 'demonstrate' and its sub-categories no statistical analysis was carried out.
'Teach' sub-categories -
sub-categories of ’teach’. Two-way anova showed no significant age effect and no interaction, but it showed a category effect in favour of
'demonstrate' F (3,45) = 19.92; p0.001. It follows that demonstrating is most important for teaching. As can be seen from the Table, recruiting was least important. For all groups, teaching episodes did not employ the whole sequence of events, for example, group C mothers did not initiate their teaching by recruiting, and only in two cases did they allow
imitation and assisted imitation after they had demonstrated. Level 5
(i) 'Eliminate' sub-categories
There was no overall age effect with regard to 'eliminate undesirable behaviour’, although there was a tendency as Table 3.6 shows, far groups to favour some categories more than others. Thus, group A had the highest frequency of ’cope with distress’, while group B infants required most control to keep them in field. For groups C and D, 'restore attention’ was most frequent.
Table 3.6 'Eliminate' sub-categories (mean frequency)
Group Sub-category restore attention keep in field cope with distress . A 2 1 3 B 4 5 1 C 7 3 2 D 5 3 1
89
Figure 3.12 shows that in each group the frequency of 'watch' and 'comment' changed, while 'receive' and 'maintain proximity' did not. Two way anova showed a highly significant category effect, (F(3,45) = 26.1; p< 0.0001), but no age effect or interaction. Therefore, 'participate from background' was performed mainly by 'watching' baby.
(iii) 'Support Contact' sub-categories
Table 3.7 shows that neither 'support baby' nor 'provide object' undergo changes. Two-way anova showed no age effect but there was a category effect in favour of 'provide object'. F (1,15) = 57.7; p< 0.001. It follows that mothers do not change the frequency of their 'support contact' activities as a function of the infants' age, but they do rely on one form of support more than the others.
(iv) 'Support Approach' sub-categories
On the very few instances when mothers supported infants' approach to toys they did so mainly by 'luring' the infant to the toy rather than physically guiding him to it ('support locomotion'). Infants in Group A were lured more than others.
(v) 'Describe' sub-categories
Table 3.8 shows that 'naming toy' increased with age while pointing at a toy or its attribute did not. This is because infants from six months (.ii) ’Participate from Background' sub-categories
onwards can follow the direction of their mother's pointing, especially when it involves objects within the infant's visual field. Most pointing in this study was directed towards objects the infant was already looking at, and the activity usually served the function of highlighting some of the features of the object rather than requiring the infant to locate it. Naming, an the other hand, is more age biased. Overall, there was an almost equal number of 'naming' and 'pointing' episodes.
Table 3.8 'Describe' sub-categories (mean frequency)
group sub-category name point A 2 1 B • 1 2 C 1 3 D 6 3
(vi) ’Fulfil Function' sub-categories
As can be seen from Table 3.9 'activate', ’construct* and 'innovate' showed some age trends, with group A showing the highest frequency of
'activate', group C had the highest frequency of 'construct' and group B had the highest frequency of 'innovate'. 'Use socially' did not change its rate from one group to another. However, none of these age changes were statistically significant.
Table 3.9 ’Fulfil Function* sub-categories (mean frequency)
Group Sub- category
activate construct use socially innovate
A 6 14 1 4
B 2 11 1 5
C 2 22 1 3
D 2 13 0 2
(vii) * Elicit1 sub-categories
As can be seen from Table 3.10, elicit equilibrium was more frequent among groups A and D, in the first instance by enticing the infant to knock down tower, while in the second instance it was by encouraging him to build it up. No age trends were shown in relation to eliciting the use of containers or eliciting search for hidden objects. Furthermore, these tendencies were not statistically significant. ' •
Table 3.10 ’Elicit’ sub-categories (mean frequency)
Group Sub -category
equilibrium container search
A 5 2 1
B 0 2 3
C 1 1 2
D 6 0 1
(viii) 1 Gams* sub-categories
Table 3.11 shows that mothers in group A initiated games most, followed by mothers in group B. Most reciprocating games was performed by group C. On the whole, there were more instances of 'initiate games’ than ’reciprocate’. None of these differences were significant.
Table 3.11 ’Game’ sub-categories (mean frequency)
Group Sub-category initiate reciprocate A 13 2 B 5 3 C 9 7 D 0 0 3.4 Conclusions .
In summary, three conclusions can be drawn from the examination of age trends in mothers’ activities..
Firstly, overall, mothers do not change the frequency of their activities within short periods of time significantly.
Secondly, over longer periods, when mothers change the rate of a major function of support, they also change the rate of the predominant form by which they achieve that function. On the other hand, when a function is achieved by more than one form, neither form nor function tend to change with changes in infants’ age.
Thirdly, the majority of mothers’ activities tend to increase, rather than decrease, with infants’ age.
These findings seem to imply that mothers are sensitive to changes in their infants’ behaviour and they pace such changes by varying the rates
of their own activities. Some of these activities are more affected by change than others; for example, ’enhancing’ the infant’s play is more
affected by the level of the infant’s cognitive functioning than ’modifying' it. However, more important than age trends were the predominance of one or two types of support over others, which seems to indicate that parents are selective in the way they structure th8 infants’ play. Contrary to expectations, mothers engage in very little directive interaction when participating in their infants’ play.
Finally, by describing maternal behaviour in terms of its hierarchical structuring, I have highlighted the relationships between the various types of activities exhibited by mothers, and I have shown that major functions can be achieved by diverse forms. Some of these forms were very infrequent that under a different system of categorisation they would have been missed out. However, the present system conserved these activities by combining them with others and by examining their developmental significance in- terms of the higher functions which they achieve. The hierarchy also showed which aspects of support constitute more common infants' experiences, and for which developmental stages. Furthermore, through the hierarchy we can assess the extent to which these experiences were beneficial or compatible with the infants' levels of cognitive functioning, by balancing the hierarchical level of the mothers’ activities with the infants’ behaviours on an
equivalent level of interpretation. Thus another system of categorisation of infants' behaviour was constructed in order to complement the mothers' hierarchy. This system is described in the next chapter.
CHAPTER IV
CLASSIFICATION OF INFANTS* ACTIVITIES WITH 080ECTS
CHAPTER IV