Examining affection in low-income child care centers: The role of affection in teacher-toddler relationships
Date
2013
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Affection is a neglected topic in the field of early child care research. The
purpose of this study is to create and pilot a framework for examining affectionate
behaviors in toddler group care environments using a focal child technique. Twelve
toddlers (6 boys and 6 girls) were observed for the first three hours of the morning
classroom session. The affectionate behaviors that were studied included: physical
affection, non-physical affection, touch, smiling, physical contact, and hold. Teacherchild
affectionate displays were observed during free play, group time, and mealtime.
The following research questions were examined: (1) What is the frequency of
affection between toddlers and teachers in high subsidy classrooms? (2) Does the
frequency of affectionate behaviors displayed by teachers vary by the gender? (3)
Does affection between toddlers and teachers vary by classroom context? Study
findings show that teacher-child affectionate behaviors in observed toddler classrooms
were extremely low and that the incidence of affection varied by classroom context.
Physical contact occurred more often than any other form of affection. Boys received
more affection from teachers than girls. The highest frequency of affection occurred
during free play and less frequently during group time. Implications for future research
are presented.