Unpredictable maternal behavior and infant emotional reactivity in the context of high maternal adversity

: Garzón, María José; Korja, Riikka; Ainamani, Herbert; Ndyareeba, Eunice; Töpfer, Philipp; Holmberg, Eeva; Köster, Moritz

: Luk Gigi, Cooper Shauna

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

: 2026

Child Development

: 97

: 1

: 126

: 136

: 0009-3920

: 1467-8624

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf010

: https://doi.org/10.1093/chidev/aacaf010

This study examined how mothers' experiences of childhood maltreatment influence their infants' emotional responses, and whether unpredictable maternal behaviors, reflected in how mothers shifted between touch, voice, and visual cues during interactions, help explain this link. To better understand these processes in a context characterized by high rates of childhood maltreatment, the research was conducted with mothers and infants in southwestern Uganda. Both maternal maltreatment history and more unpredictable caregiving patterns were linked to infants showing lower negative emotional responses. However, unpredictability did not explain the link between mothers' early experiences and infants' responses. These findings suggest that infants may flexibly adjust their emotional reactions to their mothers' behavior, possibly as an adaptation to challenging environments.

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This research did not receive any third-party funding.