The influence of infant temperamental negative affect and maternal depression on infant and maternal social positive engagement during the Still-Face procedure

Positive mother-infant interactions are important for infant development. Both mother and infant characteristics, such as maternal depression and infant temperamental negative affect are risk factors for adverse mother-infant bonding and infant outcomes. Although these predictors have been researched individually, limited studies have considered them in concert. This study aimed to examine the role of infant age (6-, 9- and 12-months), infant temperamental negative affect, and maternal depression on maternal and infant social positive engagement during the Still-Face procedure. Participants were 85 ethnically-varied mother-infant dyads (44 % girls). Mothers responded to questionnaires, prior to attending the laboratory for the Still-Face procedure (i.e., a task involving a social stressor). Results showed a significant moderating relationship between infant age, infant temperamental negative affect, and maternal depression on infant social positive engagement. For 12-month-old infants, higher infant temperamental negative affect was found to be compounded by greater maternal depression symptoms resulting in significantly lower social positive engagement following a social stressor. This relationship was not found for younger infants. No predictors were associated with maternal social positive engagement. Results from this study contribute to the literature on infant wellbeing. Results highlight the importance of interventions that aim to reduce maternal depression symptoms, especially, as maternal depression may disproportionately influence 12-month-old infants who have negative temperament.