AbstractsPsychology

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether maternal sensitivity and infant temperament were predictors of infant jealousy. The differential susceptibility hypothesis was also tested. It was investigated if infant temperament could moderate the relationship between maternal sensitivity and infant jealousy. Forty-eight 10-month-olds and their mothers participated in the study. Jealousy was measured during a 10 minutes episode of free-play between mother and infant during which mothers were instructed to care for a life-like doll. The doll cried for 5 minutes of the total episode. Infants were able to play with a large variety of toys during the jealousy evoking situation. Maternal sensitivity was measured during three additional short episodes (break, free-play without toys, free-play with toys). Infant temperament was measured by the Infant Characteristic Questionnaire (ICQ). The results showed that maternal sensitivity and infant temperament were not predictors of infant jealousy within the present study. Also, no proof was found for the differential susceptibility hypothesis. Infant temperament was not a significant predictor in the relationship between maternal sensitivity and infant temperament. The results of the present study indicate that the relationships between maternal sensitivity and infant jealousy and between infant temperament and infant jealousy might not be as strong as suggested by previous studies.