The Relation Between Poverty and Maternal Sensitivity During Interactions with 7-Month-Old Infants
Mothers and children in the United States are disproportionately at risk for experiencing poverty, which is characterized by a lack of access to life essentials including housing, food security, and healthcare. Research consistently indicates that children developing in poverty are at risk for a host of negative outcomes, including poorer physical and mental health. This study seeks to understand how poverty affects mother-child interactions by coding interactions on seven behaviors in correlation to poverty variables, to better comprehend how the systemic inequity in our socioeconomic system impacts maternal sensitivity and ultimately the way mothers interact with their infants.
