thesis
Do fathers matter? In search of causes and consequences of parental sensitivity
- Publication date
- 1 January 2013
- Publisher
- __Abstract__
Sensitivity is defined as the ability to accurately perceive and to interpret the signals implicit
in the child’s behavior and to respond to them promptly and appropriately (Ainsworth, Blehar,
Waters, & Wall, 1978). Mary Ainsworth was the first researcher to define the concept of sensitivity
along these lines. She carefully observed parental caregiving behavior and children’s
behaviors such as crying and exploration. Most importantly, she developed scales to rate
caregiving behavior from detailed observations within families in naturalistic settings. Later,
structured play tasks were developed which are now a frequently used method in observing
parent-child interaction (Joosen, Mesman, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Van IJzendoorn, 2012).
Parents generally receive instructions to play with their child with or without toys for a duration
ranging from 5 to 15 minutes. This method provokes interaction between parent and
child and there