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Cited by 122Child Abuse and TraumaChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentChild Welfare and Adoption

Empathic responsiveness and affective reactivity to infant stimuli in high- and low-risk for physical child abuse mothers

Milner, Joel S., Halsey, Lea B., Fultz, Jim·1995·Child Abuse & Neglect
DOI 10.1016/0145-2134(95)00035-7
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Abstract

Empathic responsiveness and affective reactivity to infant stimuli were examined in matched groups of high- and low-risk for physical child abuse mothers. Hypotheses were generated based on models of aggression and the child abuse literature. Although no between-group differences were found in empathy, within-group differences were observed. Compared to baseline, high-risk mothers reported no change (p > .05) in empathy across infant conditions (baseline, smiling, quiet, and crying), while low-risk mothers reported an increase (p < .0005) in empathy following presentation of the crying infant. Although there was no change in empathy, high-risk mothers reported more sadness, distress, hostility, unhappiness, and less quietness following presentation of the crying infant. Low-risk mothers reported no changes in sadness, distress, and hostility. The data for high-risk mothers are congruent with reports that physical child abusers are less empathic and more hostile in response to a crying child. The findings support aggression models which suggest the lack of empathy and the presence of negative affectivity precede abusive behavior. Post-hoc analyses also provide support for an emotional contagion perspective, where high-risk parents, compared to low-risk parents, are thought to more frequently reflect the emotional state of the infant.

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Crossref · 10.1016/0145-2134(95)00035-7

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  • In rat dams, extracellular dopamine release in ventral striatum is associated with an increase in maternal behaviors, with dopamine signal preceding onset of behavior.

    “In rat dams, extracellular dopamine release in the ventral striatum is associated with an increase in maternal behaviors, with the dopamine signal preceding the onset of the behavior (57).”

    From What’s in a smile? Maternal brain responses to infant facial cues (2008) · cites this paper as [57]

  • Together these studies suggest that positive sensory cues from infants, such as a smiling facial expression, may stimulate dopamine release in the striatum, and promote responsive maternal care.

    “Although functional MRI only measures blood-oxygen level dependent changes in brain activity, together these studies suggest that positive sensory cues from infants, such as a smiling facial expression, may stimulate dopamine release in the striatum, and promote responsive maternal care.”

    From What’s in a smile? Maternal brain responses to infant facial cues (2008) · cites this paper as [57]

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Authors
Milner, J. S., Halsey, L. B., & Fultz, J.
Affiliations
Northern Illinois University (US)
Corresponding author
Milner, Joel S.
ORCID
Milner, Joel S.
Venue
Child Abuse & Neglect
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1995-06
Volume
19
Issue
6
Pages
767-780
ISSN
0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/0145-2134(95)00035-7
OpenAlex
W2039105550
Cited by
122
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 6
FWCI
4.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
Keywords
child physical abuse, maternal empathy, emotional reactivity, infant crying, maternal hostility, negative affectivity, aggression models, emotional contagion, maternal emotions, high-risk mothers, child maltreatment risk, mother-infant interaction
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Child, Child Abuse, Child, Preschool, Empathy, Female, Humans, Infant, Mother-Child Relations, Personality Inventory, Risk Factors

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