40. Al-Khazin, A. M. Description of Mother-Infant Interaction in Palestinian Women. Bull. Palest. Ch. Soc. 1994; 1,2: 163-175, 1994, 13 pp.

The article presents results of a study performed in 1989 with the aim of comparing the mother’s responsiveness and sensitivity towards her infant’s needs among Palestinian women living in Chicago and American women. The results indicate that Palestinian mothers were more sensitive and responsive to the infant’s basic physical needs than cognitive needs. They were less adaptive than American women in their attitudes towards the stimulation of the infant’s development of learning abilities. These results were consistent with mothers’ beliefs about late infant cognitive development. The study included 36 mother-infant pairs. The applicability of research instruments used to the Palestinian cultural context remains a concern.