How Mothers Soothe their Babies

A study led by Dr Carlo Vreden (DIPF) and Professor Zanna Clay (Durham University) has now been published in the journal Developmental Psychology. The researchers compared the ways in which mothers in urban communities in the United Kingdom and in rural communities in Uganda calm their children. They found that although mothers in the United Kingdom responded more quickly to their babies' stress, Ugandan infants calmed down more quickly – even though the study showed that children in both countries calmed down more quickly when their mothers responded more quickly to their distress.

The scientists see this as an indication that the speed of the mothers is not the only factor influencing how infants deal with their emotions. Instead, it is also important to consider the type of soothing behaviour. Among other things, the research team found that, as their babies get older, British mothers tend to rely more on verbal reassurance, while Ugandan mothers continue to rely more on physical closeness and breastfeeding as a means of reassuring their babies. The research team does not interpret this finding as a judgement on which behaviour is better, but rather as evidence that culturally influenced behaviours should be examined more closely from an international perspective.

Press release from the University of Durham on the study
Full study in Developmental Psychology

The study was funded by the European Research Council. Other participating institutions were the University of York, United Kingdom, and the Budongo Conservation Research Station in Uganda.