Maternal interactive behaviors, mothers’ history of childhood adversities, and parental sense of competence

The present study aimed to examine the mothers` interactive behaviors with their children related to their history of adverse experiences at childhood and parental sense of competence. The sample was composed by 47 mothers and their children of 2-to-5-year-old. One observational session of mother–child interactions was recorded. In another session, the questionnaires (Adverse Childhood Experience [ACE] and Parental Sense of Competence Scale [PSOC]) were applied. Parenting Interactions with Children coded the maternal interactive behavior: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO). The sample was divided according to Medium–High- and Low-PICCOLO performance into two situations respectively (free- and structured-play). The results showed that maternal interactive behavior performance in both situations was similar in the medium–high and low groups, independently of the mothers` history of adversities at childhood and sense of parental competence. In conclusion, mothers showed overall positive interactive behavior patterns, also in all specific domains, and a high level of parental sense of competence, independently of recollected adverse maternal childhood experiences.