Semester Award Granted
Spring 2025
Submission Date
May 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Nancy Aaron Jones
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between maternal stress and infant fear temperament. Infant temperament is important because it allows the caregiver to understand the individual variation in the emotional and social needs of the child. Due to previous research, it can be inferred that maternal stress can influence the development of infant fear temperament. The current study looks at the relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear temperament. In this study there was no relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear when collapsing the across conditions and emotions expressed during the Lab-TAB. However, infants varied in their fear compared to sadness or distress responses across conditions, and this was slightly stronger for the infants of mothers with higher stress levels than those with lower stress vi levels. Overall, the findings demonstrate that maternal stress has a complex impact on infant behavioral responses.
Recommended Citation
Ayala, Melissa, "MATERNAL STRESS AND INFANT ANXIETY: EXAMINING THE LINK THROUGH FEAR TEMPERAMENT" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 94.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/94