Socolar R R, Stein R E
Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7225, USA.
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 1996 Feb;17(1):1-8. doi: 10.1097/00004703-199602000-00001.
This report describes maternal discipline of infants and toddlers, focusing on how the context of the misbehavior affects maternal beliefs and practices. Mothers of 1- to 4-year-old children were interviewed using a 20-minute, structured questionnaire at two practice sites: (1) an inner-city teaching hospital pediatric clinic (n = 104) and (2) a private pediatrician's office in a nearby suburban neighborhood (n = 100). Measures were constructed to assess beliefs and practices about three kinds of discipline (teaching, spanking, and removing) and about two approaches to discipline (positive or negative). We found that mothers believe significantly (p < .001) more strongly in all three kinds of discipline for dangerous misbehavior compared with annoying ones. Belief in teaching, spanking, and negative approach increase with age; belief in removing decreases (p < .001); and belief in positive approach remains stable. Belief in spanking starts earlier than belief in teaching, and belief in negative tone increases with age. Mothers seem to have better formulated beliefs about spanking and negative and positive approach to discipline than about teaching or removing. Eighty-five percent believe time-out is at times appropriate for 2 year old, but only 67% had practiced it in the past week. Belief and practice of time-out varied by the age of the child and practice site. Explaining, distracting, and praising were practiced frequently, whereas bribing was less common. Less than half (44%) reported that they had ever discussed discipline with their child's physician, although 85% thought that their physician could give good advice. There is evidence that mothers change their minds about the appropriateness of time-out as their child gets older, but beliefs about other kinds of discipline remain relatively constant. We conclude that the type of misbehavior and the age of the child affect a mother's beliefs about discipline. These findings suggest a role for pediatricians in exploring and broadening parents' concepts of discipline.
本报告描述了母婴对婴幼儿的管教情况，重点关注不当行为发生的背景如何影响母亲的观念和做法。研究人员在两个地点，使用一份20分钟的结构化问卷，对1至4岁儿童的母亲进行了访谈：（1）市中心一家教学医院的儿科诊所（n = 104）；（2）附近郊区的一家私人儿科医生诊所（n = 100）。研究构建了相关指标，以评估母亲对于三种管教方式（教导、打屁股和隔离）以及两种管教方法（积极或消极）的观念和做法。我们发现，与烦人的不当行为相比，母亲们认为针对危险的不当行为，这三种管教方式都更有必要（p < 0.001）。对教导、打屁股和消极管教方法的认同度随年龄增长而增加；对隔离的认同度则降低（p < 0.001）；对积极管教方法的认同度保持稳定。对打屁股的认同开始得比对教导的认同更早，对消极方式的认同度随年龄增长而增加。母亲们对于打屁股以及消极和积极管教方法的观念，似乎比对教导或隔离的观念更为明确。85%的母亲认为有时对2岁的孩子进行暂时隔离是合适的，但在过去一周内只有67%的母亲这样做过。暂时隔离的观念和做法因孩子年龄和访谈地点而异。解释、分散注意力和表扬的做法很常见，而贿赂则较少见。不到一半（44%）的母亲表示她们曾与孩子的医生讨论过管教问题，尽管85%的母亲认为医生能给出好的建议。有证据表明，随着孩子长大，母亲们会改变对暂时隔离是否合适的看法，但对于其他管教方式的观念相对保持不变。我们得出结论，不当行为的类型和孩子的年龄会影响母亲对管教的观念。这些发现表明儿科医生在探索和拓展家长的管教观念方面可以发挥作用。
