Research article summary (published 30 Jan 1991):

Describing parent-child interaction during exploration: situation definitions and negotiations.

Full Abstract

A coding scheme based on Wertsch's (1983) extension of Vygotsky's ideas about adult-child interaction in the zone of proximal development was used to analyze parent-child interaction during exploration. Sixty children, 3 to 6 years old, were videotaped while exploring novel objects in 15-min sessions with their mothers and fathers. Clusters of verbal and nonverbal behavior were used to code how participants defined the situation in each 15-s interval of each session in terms of one of nine categories. When parent-child mismatches occurred, the participants' negotiations of an intersubjective definition were coded, and child and parent questions were coded for complexity, complexity and appropriateness of response, and function. Results indicated that parent and child definitions matched almost 80% of the time, usually around exploration by the child with attention of or collaboration by the adult. Fathers tended to be more didactic than mothers.

Author information

Author/s: Henderson, B B (BB);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs (Genet Soc Gen Psychol Monogr), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1991-Feb; vol 117 (issue 1) : pp 77-89

Dates: Created 1991/07/16; Completed 1991/07/16; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 2044948, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attention Child Child, Preschool Exploratory Behavior Female Humans Individuality Individuation

Individuation Male Motivation Parent-Child Relations Play and Playthings Problem Solving Psychomotor Performance Reinforcement, Verbal

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