Conceptual Tempo and Mother-Child Interaction: Results from a Longitudinal Intervention Program

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of the child's participation in longitudinal intervention upon his conceptual tempo and to assess the relation of maternal and child latencies to their structured teaching interaction. Results indicated some effects of treatment upon tempo, but ruled out the effect of mother/child matching or differing latencies upon patterns of interaction. Instead both maternal and child behaviors were affected by maternal latency. Mothers with short latencies and children of mothers with short latencies exhibited more positive interactions and fewer negative interactions. Findings were interpreted in terms of the general dimension of tempo.