The influence of maternal attributions and personality onrecommendations of, and outcome expectancies, forinfant sleep interventions

BF Psychology

Wall, Ann-Marie ; MacMahon, K.

University:University of Glasgow

Department:Institute of Health and Wellbeing

关键词: Maternal attributions, infant sleep, coping, anxiety, behavioural interventions;   

Others  :  http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2899/1/2011walldclinpsy_pdf.pdf

来源: University of Glasgow

【 摘 要 】

Background: Settling and waking difficulties are common among infants and children.Although there is robust evidence for behavioural approaches to sleep management, asignificant number of parents find these difficult to adhere to. Furthermore, other parents willactively choose co-sleeping approaches. A number of psychological factors may beassociated with recommendations of, and outcome expectancies for, such interventions.Methods: First-time mothers of infants aged six to 36 months were recruited from supportgroups. A correlational design explored whether mothers’ sleep attributions and personality(coping style and trait anxiety) related to, and predicted, recommendations of, and outcomeexpectancies for, differing sleep management methods. The Modified Illness PerceptionQuestionnaire (IPQ) and fictional vignettes depicting infants with sleep difficulties were usedto access these attributions. Trait anxiety and coping style were also measured.Results: The Modified IPQ proved to be an adequate means to access maternal attributionsabout the infant sleep difficulties depicted in the fictional vignettes. Maternal attributions ofcontrollability, external cause, negative consequences and stability were associated withparticipants recommending behavioural sleep management approaches. There was also someevidence that ‘problem focused’ coping and higher levels of trait-anxiety had some influenceon participants’ expectancies of positive outcome for ‘behavioural’ approaches.Conclusion: Future research should examine the actual choices that mothers make in relation totheir own infant’s sleep. The influence of psychological factors in fathers, or other care-givers,should also be considered. Gaining further understanding about what factors affect whether aparent would choose to use a ‘behavioural’ approach, with an expectation of success, may helphealthcare professionals understand why some parents may find adherence particularly difficult.This may allow them to support parents to use these approaches in clinical treatment.