Conflict and depression predict maternal sensitivity to infant cries

We used Signal Detection methodology to examine how mothers' actual sensitivity to infant distress (crying) is influenced by psychosocial factors. Fifty-five mothers of 4- to 6-month-old infants participated in a signal detection task in which they were asked whether they could detect differences between a standard cry and variants of that cry. Cry variants differed from the standard cry in small, systematic changes in fundamental frequency. Home/work conflict, marital happiness, and maternal depression predicted sensitivity (the mother's ability to discriminate small differences in cries varying in fundamental frequency). This finding indicates how mothers' psychological state and social environment may affect mother-infant interaction. It also suggests the use of intervention strategies which focus on helping mothers attend to infant signals.