Table 1.
Maternal Behavior Codes and Sensitivity Ratings Based on Concurrent Infant Affect
| Maternal Behavior | Description | Sensitivity Rating If: Infant Affect | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Neutral | Negative | ||
| negative | directs negative affect toward the infant | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| intrusive | forces own agenda on the infant | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| mismatched affect | affect is incongruent with infant’s | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| withdraw | mother abruptly moves away or ends interaction with infant | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| distracted | uninvolved or minimally involved with infant | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| persistent ineffective | continues to respond to infant in same ineffective manner when alternative responses are available | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| monitor | watches infant/situation without intervening | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| task focused | engages with infant focusing on the arousing task | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| calming | soothes infant physically or vocally | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| supportive | maintains the infant’s attention on the task while simultaneously calming infant | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| non-task focused engagement | plays with or distracts the infant without using the arousing task | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| routine care | engages in practices like wiping nose, straightening clothing | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Note. Infant positive affect is a rating of 1, 2, or 3; neutral is 4; and negative is a rating of 5, 6, or 7. A detailed codebook is available from the first author upon request.