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- Title
Foster Mother-Infant Bonding: Associations Between Foster Mothers' Oxytocin Production, Electrophysiological Brain Activity, Feelings of Commitment, and Caregiving Quality.
- Authors
Bick, Johanna; Dozier, Mary; Bernard, Kristin; Grasso, Damion; Simons, Robert
- Abstract
This study examined the biological processes associated with foster mother-infant bonding. In an examination of foster mother-infant dyads ( N = 41, mean infant age = 8.5 months), foster mothers' oxytocin production was associated with their expressions of behavioral delight toward their foster infant and their average P3 response to images of all infant faces in the first 2 months of the relationship. Three months later, foster mothers' oxytocin production was still associated with delight toward their foster infant and was also specifically associated with their P3 response to an image of their foster infant. Similar to biologically related mothers and infants, oxytocin appears to be associated with foster mothers' brain activity and caregiving behavior, with patterns suggestive of bond formation.
- Subjects
FOSTER mothers; MATERNAL love; OXYTOCIN; ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY; COMMITMENT (Psychology); PSYCHOLOGY of foster children; PHYSIOLOGY; PSYCHOLOGY
- Publication
Child Development, 2013, Vol 84, Issue 3, p826
- ISSN
0009-3920
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/cdev.12008