Maternal warmth is an index of positive parenting, which refers to the expression of positive affect, admiration, and affection toward the child, including manifestations of fondness and enjoyment. Maternal warmth has been shown to be related to a range of child outcomes across multiple domains of functioning and is therefore a clinically significant index of parenting behavior. The current entry (a) defines the construct of maternal warmth, including a review of how warmth is assessed; (b) reviews the functions of maternal warmth; (c) considers the predictors of maternal warmth; and (d) briefly highlights the clinical significance and implications of extant research on maternal warmth.

Maternal Warmth: Definition and Assessment Approaches

Maternal warmth refers broadly to the positive affective quality of maternal parenting behavior during interactions with the ...

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