Reactividade infantil e a qualidade da interacção mãe-filho (*)

 

Anabela Faria (**)

Marina Fuertes (***)

 

RESUMO

No quadro dos estudos sobre o relacionamento mãe-filho, procurámos averiguar a relação entre a reactividade infantil observada em condições de stress e a qualidade do comportamento interactivo infantil e materno em jogo livre. Para o efeito, seleccionámos uma amostra de 40 díades mãe-filho cujos bebés tinham cerca de 3 meses e não apresentavam nenhuma condição declarada de risco. A qualidade da interacção mãe-filho foi avaliada em jogo livre através da escala CARE-Index. Para testar a reactividade infantil submetemos os bebés à situação experimental Still-Face. Os resultados mostram que a reactividade infantil expressa naquela situação laboratorial não é independente do comportamento dos bebés em jogo livre. Com efeito, os bebés com maior dificuldade em conformar-se com a ausência de resposta materna apresentam um comportamento menos cooperativo e difícil em jogo livre. Em sentido inverso, os bebés que em jogo livre são menos participativos apresentam menores índices de reactividade negativa quando a mãe mantém a cara inexpressiva. Em termos diádicos, verificamos que existe uma forte correlação entre o comportamento cooperativo do bebé e a sensibilidade materna em jogo livre. Os resultados são discutidos no quadro do desenvolvimento dos processos de interacção mãe e filho.

Palavras-chave: Reactividade infantil, interacção mãe-filho, afectividade.

 

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to explore the relation between infants’ reactivity under stress and the quality of mother-infant interaction in free play. Our sample consisted of 40 infants with 3 months old and their mothers. Infants’ reactivity under stress was assessed during Tronick’s Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm. The quality of mother-infant interaction was evaluated during free play using the CARE-Index. Our results indicated that infants’ reactivity in Still-Face is not independent from infants’ behavior in free play. Thus, more reactive infants in Still-Face were more difficult with their mothers in free play. In turn, more passive infants in free play were less likely than other infants to present negative responses in Still-Face. Mothers’ sensitivity and infants’ cooperative behavior in free play was highly correlated. Our findings will be discussed in the light of mother-infant relational approaches.

Key words: Infants reactivity, mother-infant interaction, affectivity.

 

 

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(*) Agradecimentos: Este trabalho foi suportado em parte pela bolsa SFRH/BPD/26726/2006 atribuída a Marina Fuertes. Às famílias que aceitaram participar no estudo, o nosso agradecimento especial. As autoras agradecem também as facilidades concedidas pelo Hospital de Santo Espírito de Angra do Heroísmo. Por fim, as sugestões de Edward Tronick e de Maria Antónia Costa vieram enriquecer este manuscrito.

(**) Serviço de Pediatria do Hospital de Santo Espírito de Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, Portugal. E-mail: ana.bela.faria@sapo.pt

(***) Harvard Medical School, Childrens Hospital, Boston, USA. E-mail: marina.fuertes@childrens.harvard.edu