1. The Associations between Infant Negative Affect and Maternal Gate-Closing: Mediation through Maternal Parenting Stress
Julia Yan, Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan, & Claire M. Kamp Dush
Department of Human Sciences

2. Maternal Gate-keeping Gate-opening Gate-closing
INTRODUCTION
Mothers as Gatekeepers
Father involvement
Maternal Gate-keeping
Gate-opening
Gate-closing
Maternal gate-closing has been associated with negative child outcomes and decrease in father involvement.
Add
In this study, we want to identify the predictors of maternal gate-closing behaviors, which is a kind of maternal behaviors that restrict father’s involvement in childcare.
Why is it important to study? Well, maternal gateclosing behaviors has been linked with negative child outcome and low father involvement. We have already know that father involvement is often good for families and children.
We have well understood maternal gatekeeping as the independent variable, the concequenses of maternal gateclosing. However, not many studies have looked at the predictors of maternal gatekeeping. But we know, it is important to understand maternal gatekeeping as the dependent variable, to understand the predictors of gatekeepisng.
Historically in American society, fathers were not expected to involve in child care.
Since last century, with women entering the labor market, the notion of father has changed. Fathers are now spending more time with children, particularly in dual-earner families, which is good. because children and families benefit from father involvement in child care. However, compared with working mothers, fathers still spending less time on parenting than mothers.
One of the possible reasons of this gender gap in child care involvement is maternal gatekeeping. Maternal gatekeeping describes maternal behaviors that encourage or discourage father involvement in child care. Many studies have looked at the consequences of maternal gatekeeping, like reduced father involvement or increased child behavior problems. We have well understood maternal gatekeeping as the independent variable But few studies have focused on the predictors of maternal gatekeeping. But we know, it is important to understand maternal gatekeeping as the dependent variable, to understand the predictors of gatekeepisng.

3. Maternal Gatekeeping Paternal Characteristics Child Characteristics
INTRODUCTION
Predictors of Maternal Gatekeeping
Maternal Characteristics
Paternal Characteristics
Maternal Gatekeeping
Child Characteristics
In a study recently published on Parenting Science and Practice, Dr. Schoppe-Sullivan and her colleagues identified several maternal and paternal characteristics as the predictors of maternal gatekeeping. They found that mothers were more likely to close the gate to fathers, when she held greater perfectionistic expectations for fathers’ parenting, had poorer psychological functioning, perceived their romantic relationship as less stable, and had higher levels of parenting self-efficacy. In contrast, fathers with lower confidence in their parenting competence appeared to elicit greater maternal gate-closing behavior.
Built upon this groundbreaking study, our goal of this study is to identify child characteristics the predictors of maternal gatekeeping behaviors
Schoppe-Sullivan et al. (2015)

4. Infant Temperament (Rothbart & Gartstein, 2000 )
INTRODUCTION
Infant Temperament and Parenting Stress
Infant Temperament (Rothbart & Gartstein, )
- Negative Affect
Parenting Stress
-Spillover
Negative Affect: the extent to which infants displayed negative emotions including fear, anger, sadness, discomfort, and frustration.

5. INTRODUCTION
Research Questions
1. Does infant negativity predict increased maternal gate-closing? 2. If so, is the association mediated by elevated parenting stress?

6. Longitudinal, with initial gate-closing controlled
THE PRESENT STUDY
Research Design
Longitudinal, with initial gate-closing controlled
6-months
Parenting Stress
3-months
9-months
Infant negativity
Gate-closing
To strengthen the theoretical proposition that maternal gatekeeping is an antecedent of father involvement, a longitudinal design that can better get at reciprocity should be employed.
3-months
Gate-closing

7. Participants and Procedures
METHODS
Participants and Procedures
Participants had to be:
currently married or cohabiting
each expecting their first biological child, and
working full-time with plans of returning to work at least part-time after the child’s birth
Among 182 sets of participating parents:
86.3% were married
65% of expectant fathers and 75% of expectant mothers held a Bachelor’s or higher degree
85.6% of fathers and 85.2% of mothers were European American
The median household income was $81,000
51% of the infants were boys.
We were interested in dual-earner couples because the larger study was focused on how new parents balance work and family.

8. Infant Temperament Measured at 3 months (via mothers’ reports)
METHODS
Instruments
Infant Temperament Measured at 3 months (via mothers’ reports)
The Revised Infant Behavior Questionnaire – Very Short Form (Rothbart & Gartstein, 2000) α = .84
When tired, how often did your baby show distress?
When it was time for bed or a nap and your baby did not want to go, how often did s/he whimper or sob?
Never
Always 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9. Maternal Parenting Stress assessed at 6 months
METHODS
Instruments
Maternal Parenting Stress assessed at 6 months
Items from the Fragile Families Study (Abidin, 1995) α = .76
I find taking care of my baby is much more work than pleasure.
I often feel tired, worn out, or exhausted from raising a family.
Strongly Agree
Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4

10. METHODS
Instruments
Maternal Gate-closing assessed at 3 and 9 months (via mothers’ reports)
Parental Regulation Inventory (Van Egeren, 2000) α = .73
- When your baby’s father does something that you don’t approve of regarding child care or with your baby, how often do you tell your baby’s father what you think he did wrong (“The bath water is too hot, you’ll burn him.”)
Never
Several Times a Day 1 2 3 4 5 6

11. Predicting Maternal Gate-closing at 9 months
Predictors β
p value
Maternal Gate-closing at 3 months
.59***
.000
Infant Negative Affect
.18**..
.007 R2
.64…

12. indirect effect 95 % BCa CI = [.002 to .09]
RESULTS
6-months
Parenting Stress
.11*
.25†
3-months
9-months
Infant negativity
Gate-closing
c path β = .21* (SE = .08)
c’ path β = .03 (SE = .02)
indirect effect 95 % BCa CI = [.002 to .09]
3-months
Gate-closing

13. INTRODUCTION
Summary
Does infant negativity predict increased maternal gate-closing?
If so, is the association mediated by elevated parenting stress?
Future directions?
YES!
YES!

14. Limitations: Strengths: Sample composition Single reporter
DISCUSSION
Limitations & Strengths
Limitations:
Sample composition
Single reporter
Strengths:
Longitudinal design

15. Thank you for listening!
Acknowledgements
Thank you!
Thank you for listening!
Julia Yan
PhD student | Graduate Fellow
Department of Human Sciences
College of Education and Human Ecology
The Ohio State University 
135 Campbell, 1787 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210