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Mother–Father–Child Triadic Interaction and Mother–Child Dyadic Interaction: Gender Differences Within and Between Contexts

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Abstract

Differences in mother and father behavior during a triadic interaction session, and differences in mothers’ behavior across triadic and dyadic interaction, were examined in 60 two-parent families with an 11- to 15-month-old child (30 boys, 30 girls). Results revealed that mothers were less involved, less sensitive, and more negative during triadic than during dyadic interaction. Mothers of sons displayed more emotion during triadic interaction than mothers of daughters did. Mothers were more involved with children than fathers were during triadic interaction, whereas fathers displayed more emotion than mothers did during triadic interaction. Fathers were more supportive of mothers, and mothers were more intrusive toward fathers, during triadic interaction. The results are discussed in terms of the role that context plays in gender-typed patterns of family interaction.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the children, parents and teachers of the Kansas University Infant Study Center for their time and participation in the study. We also appreciate the research assistance that was provided by Cullen Maney, Cody Dickson, Marion O’Brien, Jay Atwater, Kim Murphy, Pat Robinson, Michelle Knoll, Aynsley Anderson, and Kathy Zima in various phases of data collection and coding.

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  1. Eric W. Lindsey

    Present address: Department of Applied Psychology, Pennsylvania State University Berks Campus, P.O. Box 7009, Tulpehocken Road, Reading, PA, 19619-6009, USA

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  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Eric W. Lindsey & Yvonne M. Caldera

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  1. Eric W. Lindsey
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Correspondence to Eric W. Lindsey.

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Lindsey, E.W., Caldera, Y.M. Mother–Father–Child Triadic Interaction and Mother–Child Dyadic Interaction: Gender Differences Within and Between Contexts. Sex Roles 55, 511–521 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9106-z

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