DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADOLESCENT AND ADULT MOTHERS ...

Design and Procedure
The present study utilized data gathered from mothers during the third trimester of
their pregnancies as well as data collected when children were 4, 8, 18, and 24 months of
age. Measures of constructs from each time point (cognitive readiness to parent, support
from partner, parenting, and language development) are presented in Table 1. Indicators
of cognitive readiness to parent and support from partner were drawn from the prenatal
interview. In most case during this interview, mothers came to the university setting and
reported on measures of parenting style and attitudes, knowledge of child development,
and social support. The interview typically lasted two hours; transportation was provided
for participants when requested. If a mother was unable to come to the university setting,
the assessment occurred in her home.
When children were 4, 8, and 18 months, mothers were interviewed in their
homes on a variety of topics over approximately a two-hour period. At each interview,
basic demographic information was collected in addition to measures of social and
community support, daily activities with the child, and father involvement. The home
visits also included a semi-structured interview, the Infant-Toddler Home Observation for
the Measurement of the Environment (IT-HOME; Caldwell & Bradley, 2001). Indicators
of the quality of parenting, including warmth, support for learning and literacy, and lack
of hostility were drawn from the IT-HOME.
The final assessment took place in either the university setting or in families’
homes when children were 24 months of age. Mothers responded to questions regarding
daily living, family routines, and their children’s physical and emotional health. Also at
this time, indicators of language development (auditory comprehension and expressive
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