Professional caregivers and mothers of 28 infants, aged 2-6 months, participated in this study which aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between a sensitive caregiving attitude of...Show moreProfessional caregivers and mothers of 28 infants, aged 2-6 months, participated in this study which aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between a sensitive caregiving attitude of a professional primary caregiver, caregiver stability and the wellbeing of an infant in day care. Furthermore, we examined if this relationship is moderated by the temperament of the infant. The caregiving attitude of the professional caregivers was measured with the Parenting attitude Questionnaire (PAQ; Hembacher & Frank, 2016). The infant’s well-being was assessed with the Leiden Inventory for the Child’s Well-being in Day Care (WOL; De Schipper, et al., 2004). Stability was measured by a questionnaire designed by Leiden University to reflect on the stability of the caregiver. Temperament was measured by the Infant Behavior Questionnaire- Revised (IBQ-R; Garnstein & Rothbart, 2003). There was no significant association between sensitive caregiving attitude of a professional caregiver, caregiver stability and the wellbeing of an infant in day care. Also, we did not find evidence that temperament served as a moderator. Interestingly we did find that stability of a trusted caregiver mattered more than the sensitive attitude of the caregiver in explaining individual differences in infants’ wellbeing, although this association was not significant. Further research may explore the difference between caregiver stability and a sensitive caregiver attitude in predicting the well-being of an infant and as well as the moderation by temperament by using a larger sample than in the current study.Show less
