Links between mothers’ coping styles, toddler reactivity, and sensitivity to toddler's negative emotions

The extent to which engaged maternal coping styles moderate the association between toddler's temperamental reactivity and mothers’ sensitivity to children's negative emotions was examined in 89 mother–child dyads. Primiparous mothers completed a measure of coping styles prenatally. When toddlers were 16 months old, mothers completed a measure of perceived toddler temperament and a self-report of how they respond to toddler negative emotions, and maternal sensitivity and temperamental reactivity were observed during emotionally arousing tasks in the laboratory. Mothers’ disengaged coping style was positively associated with self-reported insensitive responses to children's negative emotions. Engaged coping moderated the association between toddler temperamental reactivity and both self-reported insensitive responses and observed maternal sensitivity, such that temperamental reactivity was more strongly linked with less sensitive maternal behavior when engaged coping was low.

► Examined links between maternal coping, toddler reactivity, and sensitivity.
► Disengaged coping was positively associated with reported insensitivity.
► An interaction was found for engaged coping and reactivity on reported insensitivity.
► High engaged coping reduced negative effect of reactivity on observed sensitivity.