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The Significance of Mothers' Neural Responding to Infant Emotional Cues for Caregiving Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Infant Temperamental Distress

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Title: The Significance of Mothers' Neural Responding to Infant Emotional Cues for Caregiving Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Infant Temperamental Distress
Language: English
Authors: Madeline M. Patrick (ORCID 0000-0003-0112-3419), Nanxi Xu, Helena J. V. Rutherford, Ashley M. Groh (ORCID 0000-0003-0235-9941)
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2025 61(7):1384-1396.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
Contract Number: 2017920
R21DA052620
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Mothers, Infants, Emotional Response, Cues, Parenting Styles, Attachment Behavior, Affective Behavior, Infant Behavior, Parent Child Relationship
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001852
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: We examined associations between mothers' (N = 137; 77.7% White/non-Hispanic) neural responding implicated in facial encoding (N170) and attention (P300) to infant emotional expressions and direct observations of their caregiving behaviors toward their 6-month-old infants. We also explored the moderating role of mother-reported and observer-rated infant temperamental distress. Few direct associations emerged that were not further moderated by temperament. Specifically, a dampened N170 to infant distress (vs. neutral) expressions was associated with mothers' intrusiveness, and a larger P300 to infant happy (vs. neutral) expressions was associated with mothers' sensitivity to distress. Among mothers who perceived their infants as high in temperamental distress, neural responding reflective of distinguishing (N170) and attending (P300) to infant distress (vs. neutral) expressions was associated with maternal sensitivity to distress, and neural responding reflective of encoding (N170) infant emotional (distress, happy, vs. neutral) expressions was associated with greater maternal sensitivity to nondistress. At lower levels of mother-reported temperamental distress, a heightened N170 to infant emotional (distress, happy, vs. neutral) expressions was associated with mothers' detachment. Findings indicate that distinctive patterns of neural responding to infant emotional expressions are associated with specific caregiving behaviors and demonstrate the significance of mothers' perceptions of infant temperamental distress in moderating the extent to which neural responding to infant expressions is associated with their caregiving behaviors.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/5bgje/?view_only=e1fafc73c2a04dca9dc57ba3ee7b265a
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502617
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Significance of Mothers' Neural Responding to Infant Emotional Cues for Caregiving Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Infant Temperamental Distress
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Madeline+M%2E+Patrick%22">Madeline M. Patrick</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0112-3419">0000-0003-0112-3419</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nanxi+Xu%22">Nanxi Xu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Helena+J%2E+V%2E+Rutherford%22">Helena J. V. Rutherford</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ashley+M%2E+Groh%22">Ashley M. Groh</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0235-9941">0000-0003-0235-9941</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(7):1384-1396.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF)<br />National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infants%22">Infants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Response%22">Emotional Response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cues%22">Cues</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parenting+Styles%22">Parenting Styles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attachment+Behavior%22">Attachment Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Affective+Behavior%22">Affective Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infant+Behavior%22">Infant Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Rothbart+Infant+Behavior+Questionnaire%22">Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001852
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: We examined associations between mothers' (N = 137; 77.7% White/non-Hispanic) neural responding implicated in facial encoding (N170) and attention (P300) to infant emotional expressions and direct observations of their caregiving behaviors toward their 6-month-old infants. We also explored the moderating role of mother-reported and observer-rated infant temperamental distress. Few direct associations emerged that were not further moderated by temperament. Specifically, a dampened N170 to infant distress (vs. neutral) expressions was associated with mothers' intrusiveness, and a larger P300 to infant happy (vs. neutral) expressions was associated with mothers' sensitivity to distress. Among mothers who perceived their infants as high in temperamental distress, neural responding reflective of distinguishing (N170) and attending (P300) to infant distress (vs. neutral) expressions was associated with maternal sensitivity to distress, and neural responding reflective of encoding (N170) infant emotional (distress, happy, vs. neutral) expressions was associated with greater maternal sensitivity to nondistress. At lower levels of mother-reported temperamental distress, a heightened N170 to infant emotional (distress, happy, vs. neutral) expressions was associated with mothers' detachment. Findings indicate that distinctive patterns of neural responding to infant emotional expressions are associated with specific caregiving behaviors and demonstrate the significance of mothers' perceptions of infant temperamental distress in moderating the extent to which neural responding to infant expressions is associated with their caregiving behaviors.
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  Data: https://osf.io/5bgje/?view_only=e1fafc73c2a04dca9dc57ba3ee7b265a
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1502617
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001852
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1384
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Infants
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      – SubjectFull: Emotional Response
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cues
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parenting Styles
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      – SubjectFull: Attachment Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Affective Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Infant Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire
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      – TitleFull: The Significance of Mothers' Neural Responding to Infant Emotional Cues for Caregiving Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Infant Temperamental Distress
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