Parents' physically performative behaviors during shared book reading: an observational study
Date
2020
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The research presented here is an exploration of the physically performative behaviors demonstrated by mothers and fathers during shared book reading (SBR) activities. The design included separate observations of counterbalanced sessions of father-child and mother-child dyads reading with their preschool-aged child (Mage = 46 months). Video-recorded observations were coded and analyzed by the researcher using a coding scheme developed for this study. The coding instrument focused on the physically performative behaviors (PPBs) demonstrated by parents during SBR, including hand/body gestures, facial expressions, voice, pointing, and proximity to the child while reading. In addition, parents completed a researcher-developed survey designed to assess various facets of parent-child shared reading experiences (e.g., parental- and child-levels of enjoyment of SBR activities). This research uses primary observational data collected from a convenience sample of families (N = 40) recruited from university-based child care programs, as well as from those in the surrounding community. Using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), findings of this dyadic data analysis reveal actor effects for the relationship between parental PPBs and parental affect, but no partner effects. Results also demonstrate similarities and differences in the stylistic approaches mothers and fathers used when engaging in the shared book reading task, with mothers demonstrating more physical behaviors than fathers, and fathers engaging in more interconnected physical contact with their children than mothers. Finally, results indicate that parental reading order and child sex did not influence the frequency or types of behaviors male and female co-parents demonstrated while reading. This research contributes to the existing SBR literature because it provides original observational data regarding mothers’ and fathers’ physicality during shared reading activities and how these physical behaviors contribute to the overall quality of parent-child SBR experiences.
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Keywords
APIM, Parent-child, Physicality, Shared book reading