Qualitative input vs Quantitative input: Mothers as Educators in Problem Solving Situations with their Toddlers

Abstract

Communication and social interactions contribute to child development. Interactions between mothers and their children are complex and are in many ways built upon communication and trust. Mothers provide different forms of input in their interactions and communication with their children. This input can be of a qualitative kind, where the information conveyed involves a special meaning or form of deliverance. However, the input can also be quantified. Quantitative input concerns the amount of input provided, and the linguistic characteristics given to that input. Although a lot of research has examined how either the quality and quantity of linguistic input relate to children’s language development. Few studies have compared the role of these two different kinds of input in specific learning situations and how they concurrently and longitudinally relate to child task success in cognitive task situations in particular. The current study attempts to look at how the quality of mothers’ input (i. e., mothers’ sensitivity and cognitive stimulation) and the quantity of mothers’ input (i.e., mothers’ number of utterances and questions) are related to task success at 24 months and 36 months of age. The study found that maternal sensitivity is related to the children’s task success, while maternal utterances and questions were related to children’s failed task attempts. This suggests that the type of information a child receives during a task situation is relevant to how well the child performs on said task. However, further studies into the field is highly encouraged.