Early maternal autonomy support as a predictor of child internalizing and externalizing behavior trajectories across early childhood

This study investigated the contribution of early maternal autonomy support in the prediction of developmental patterns of change in child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems from 2 to 7 years of age. The participants were 130 mother-child dyads drawn from a community sample. Data were collected at four-time points. Maternal sensitivity and autonomy support were assessed observationally at 12 and 15 months, respectively, child temperament was reported by both parents at 2 years, and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors were reported by both parents at 2, 4, and 7 years. The results indicated that, over and above child temperament and maternal sensitivity, mothers who supported their child's autonomy to a greater degree had children whose trajectories of internalizing behavior increased less and trajectories of externalizing behavior decreased more. These findings suggest that maternal autonomy support may be an important target for prompt intervention to promote healthier child behavioral and emotional adjustment trajectories.