EFFECTS OF INFANCY VIDEO COURSE ON MATERNAL COMPETENCY

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THERE ARE LONG-TERM BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PARENTAL COMPETENCY, KNOWLEDGE, RESPONSIVENESS, AND SELF-ESTEEM THAT RESULT FROM DEMONSTRATING TO NEW PARENTS THE INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITIES OF THEIR INFANTS, IN ORDER TO REINFORCE OBSERVATION, GOOD INSTINCTS, AND RESPONSES. DESPITE THESE AND OTHER IMPORTANT FINDINGS ON INFANT DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR APPLICATION TO PARENTHOOD, THERE IS A LACK OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO SUCH INTERVENTIONS IN AN EFFECTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE FORM. THIS PRODUCT INTERVENTION, BASED ON CUMULATIVE RESEARCH IN THE FIELD, IS A COMPREHENSIVE, SELF-TEACHING PROGRAM FOR NEWPARENTS AND OTHER INFANT CARETAKERS, CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF VIDEOTAPES AND GUIDED OBSERVATIONAL ACTIVITIES ON THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE. A NUMBER OF INFANT DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS PARTICIPATE IN THE SERIES. THE STUDY WILL TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PROGRAM AS AN INTERVENTION WITH FIRST-TIME MOTHERS TO INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM AND KNOWLEDGE OF INFANT DEVELOPMENT. PHASE I RESEARCH IS THUS DIRECTED AT ESTABLISHING THE FEASIBILITY OF A MULTIMEDIA PROGRAM INTERVENTION TO INCREASE MATERNAL COMPETENCE AND TO PROVIDE DATA FOR A LARGER STUDY AND PACKAGED IMPLEMENTATION IN PHASE II. IF FOUND EFFECTIVE, THIS PACKAGE COULD ENABLE HOSPITALS, CLINICS, CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS, COLLEGES, AND HIGH SCHOOLS TO OFFERTHIS INFORMATION AS A POSTNATAL PROGRAM.