Infant Distress from the Still-Face and its Association With Increased Problem Solving: Implications for Early Resilience.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between infants' negative affect and problem-solving skills, along with the moderating role of mothers' perceived social support.

Methods: The sample consisted of 110 infants (49% females) and their mothers, who participated in the Perinatal Experiences and COVID-19 Effects (PEACE) Study at 2 time points: T1 (peripartum period, from late second trimester to 6 months postpartum) and T2 (when the infants were 8-10 months old). We used the Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) procedure as an observational task to assess infant negative affect (T2) and maternal reports of their perceived social support (T1 and T2) and infants' problem-solving skills (T2). Spearman correlations and moderation analysis with PROCESS macro were performed in SPSS, controlling for maternal education, maternal age, maternal mental health (depression and anxiety at T1 and T2), and child sex.

Results: We found that infant negative affect was positively (b = 1.88, p = 0.045) associated with problem-solving after controlling for other variables, whereas there was no evidence for a relationship with mothers' perceived social support (b = 0.73, p = ns). Notably, in testing the interaction between negative affect during FFSF and social support (b = 1.13, p = 0.001), the findings reveal more optimal problem-solving skills in infants whose mothers reported at T1 moderate (b = 2.98, p = 0.003) or high (b = 4.11, p = 0.001) social support. There was no evidence of a moderating role of mothers' perceived social support at T2 (b = 0.32, p = ns).

Conclusion: Results show that infant negative affect may reflect their capacity for problem-solving and that bolstering social support for perinatal women may enhance their infants' problem-solving abilities. Findings highlight that children's negative affect in stressful situations, such as the FFSF context, may serve as a coping mechanism and offer new insights into the intergenerational transmission of resilience.