British Journal of Medical P $ d o g y (1992). 65, 327-331
Printed in Great Britain
327
0 1992 The British Psychological Society
Facilitators and Regulators : Cross-cultural and methodological considerations Anat Scher* and Orly Blumberg School of Educafion, University of Haija, Haija, Israel 31905
In a model of motherhood Raphael-Leff (1983) delineated two basic orientations : the Facilitator who adapts to the baby and the Regulator who expects the baby to adapt. The FR questionnaire was completed by 97 Israeli mothers of six-month-old infants; 34 per cent were classified as Facilitators, 34 per cent Regulators, 15 per cent Intermediates and 17 per cent were labelled Bipolars. Future research should explore the characteristics of this latter group and its prevalence in other societies.
Parents’ ideas and child-rearing orientations are of interest to a wide range of scientists and clinicians. Mothers vary in their ideas about starting points (i.e. the initial nature of children) and in their goals for subsequent development (Goodnow & Collins, 1990). Drawing on clinical experience, observations of mother-infant interaction as well as empirical research data, Raphael-Leff (1983) proposed a model of motherhood incorporating conscious and unconscious mental representations of infancy and motherhood. In Raphael-Leff s model (1986, 1991, 1 9 9 2 ~ )two distinct maternal orientations are contrasted. The Facilitator mother who believes that ‘baby knows best’ as opposed to the Regulator mother who believes that the ‘caretaker knows best ’. The two maternal orientations, suggests Raphael-Leff (1983), match two distinct psychodynamic standpoints. Freud’s and the ego-psychologists’ view, in which the infant is regarded as a passive bundle of needs, is the orientation held by the Regulator. While the view of the neo-Freudians and object relations theorists, in which the baby actively communicates his needs, more accurately describes the Facilitator’s orientation. The Facilitator mother in Raphael-Leff s model (1986, 1991, 1 9 9 2 ~ experiences ) pregnancy as the culmination of her feminine identity; she views the neonate as sociable and dependent and her role is conceptualized in terms of exclusivity and flexibility. At the other end of the spectrum, the Regulator mother regards pregnancy as a ‘tedious means of getting a baby’ (Raphael-Leff, 1992u), the new-born is perceived as asocial and demanding, the maternal role is conceptualized in terms of the establishment of routine, and caring for the baby is ideally shared with others. While the Facilitator adapts to the baby and makes herself immediately available to
* Requests for reprints.
328
Anat Scher and O r b Blumberg
the child, the Regulator expects the baby to adapt to the world and thus she attempts to regulate the gratification of the child’s needs. To distinguish Facilitators from Regulators empirically, Raphael-Leff (1985) developed a semi-structured questionnaire (FRQ) in which mothers respond to questions regarding: (1) the establishment of a daily routine, (2) method of feeding and weaning and (3) attribution of early sociability to the infant. Consequently, mothers were labelled as extreme Facilitators, moderate Facilitators, Intermediates, moderate Regulators and extreme Regulators. T o date, only limited empirical data regarding the reliability and validity of the FRQ have been published. The purpose of the present study was to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. A second goal was to describe maternal orientations within a sample of Israeli mothers and to identify demographic characteristics which are linked to these orientations.
Methods Su@ects Ninety-seven mothers out of 118 Israeli mothers whose healthy babies took part in a longitudinal investigation (Scher, 1991) provided the data for the present study. The demographic characteristics of the subjects are as follows: mother’s mean age = 28.5 (SD 4.7), education = 13.8 years (SD 2.4). Fifty-seven per cent were of European-American origin and 43 per cent of Asian- African descent; 46 per cent of the mothers were employed. Fifty per cent of the children were boys and 39 per cent firstborn.
Measures and procedure In a pilot study, the reliability of the Hebrew version of the Facilitator-Regulator questionnaire (FRQ) was established. A test-retest, on a sample of 20 mothers, in a two-week interval, yielded a coefficient reliability of r = .95. The FRQ was mailed to 118 mothers when their infants were six months old along with a stamped envelope. Eighty-one per cent of the questionnaires were returned.
Results
The data indicated that mothers’ responses to the three domains of the questionnaire were not correlated (Table 1).
Table 1. Pearson correlation coefficient between the FR items (N = 97)
Feeding schedule Sociability
Daily routine
Feeding schedule
.13 (p = .20) -.01 (p = .88)
.13 (p = .19)
Taking into account the extremely low internal reliability of the measure (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.21) the original scoring and classification method suggested by Raphael-Leff (1985) was reconsidered. When examining the frequencies of the
Facilitators and Regul’ators : Cross-cultural and methodological considerations
329
various orientations expressed for the three items (Table 2), it appeared that the sociability item yielded somewhat different distribution. Since this latter item was also regarded by Raphael-Leff (1990) as the less distinctive of the two styles, it was decided not to use it for the purpose of classifying maternal orientation.
Table 2. Percentage of Facilitator, Regulator and Intermediate responses Facilitator
Regulator
Intermediate
35 26 23
35 35 49
30 39 28
Daily routine Feeding schedule Sociability
A second methodological concern stemming from the scoring system was that a similar summary score could have been representing very different orientations. For example, mothers who scored 0 (extreme Facilitator) on the first item and 4 (extreme Regulator) on the second question had obtained similar means as the responder who scored 2 (Intermediate) o n both items. To deal with this limitation the classification criterion was somewhat altered. In line with Raphael-Leff s (1985) instructions mothers who scored 0 and/or 1 were labelled Facilitators, Regulators scored 3 and/or 4 and Intermediates scored 2. However, mothers who obtained a 0 o r 1 on one item and 3 or 4 on the other were no longer labelled as Intermediates but rather as Bipolars. Using the above definitions, 34 per cent of the mothers were identified as Facilitators, 34 per cent Regulators, 15 per cent Intermediates and 17 per cent Bipolars. Neither maternal age, education, ethnicity o r employment nor the child’s gender had significant associations with maternal orientation. A link between the child’s birth order and orientation was found such that with a first child a Regulator orientation was more common = 9.95, p < .OI).
(xz
Discussion The results of this investigation suggested that in spite of the limitation of the FRQ, the tool may, nevertheless, serve as a measure for identifying maternal orientations. Based on the combination of adherence to or lack of (a) daily routine and (b) predetermined feeding time schedules, four categories of mothers emerged. In line with Raphael-Leff s (1983, 1985) distinction, Facilitator, Regulator and Intermediate groups were identified. But, unlike the original scoring system, we had limited the Intermediate classification only to mothers who gave moderate responses on both items. Consequently, mothers who responded as would a Facilitator o n one item and as a Regulator on the other question (17 per cent of the sample) were labelled ‘Bipolars’. O u r argument was that rather than representing a mid-point on a continuum, the ‘Bipolars’ have expressed a style which holds two distinct and contrasting responses, and thus should be discriminated from the moderate Intermediates. Support to the hypothesis that the Bipolars form a unique group
330
Anat Scher and Orb Blumberg
is provided by Blumberg (1991) who found that Intermediate mothers had significantly lower maternal separation anxiety (Hock, McBride & Gnezda, 1989) compared to the Bipolar group. Since separation concerns are a key element in mothers’ orientation (Raphael-Leff, 1986) as well as in internal working models (Main, Kaplan & Cassidy, 1985) the distinction between the two groups is supported. Future investigation should explore the belief system, internal model and behavioural characteristics of the Bipolars. An interesting question to address is whether the inconsistent and conflicting responses of the Bipolars are further reflected in handling and child care. If so, it would be important to investigate the effect on the child. One prediction might be that insecurity and disorganization would be prevalent among children of Bipolars. In addition to the examination of the characteristics of the FRQ, this study examined variables which contribute to mothers’ approaches towards motherhood and child care. Our data indicated that in a sample of predominantly middle-class Israeli urban families, neither mother’s age, years of schooling, ethnic origin nor employment status were significantly associated with maternal orientation. In line with Raphael-Leff s observation (1985) we found that Regulator orientation is more common among first-time mothers. As may be predicted from the observation that the orientation is prenatally determined (Raphael-Leff, 1991) there was no difference in maternal orientation towards boys and girls. Finally, since no normative data from other cultures were available it is not possible to compare the distribution of maternal orientation of Israeli mothers to other societies. Furthermore, it is not clear whether the Bipolar group is a unique characteristic of our sample o r whether it can be identified in other communities as well. Future validation and cross-cultural investigations might also expand the questionnaire and strengthen its psychometric characteristics. Indeed, since this study was initiated, on the basis of feedback from various studies, modifications have been introduced into the original 1985 questionnaire, as follows : 1. The questionnaire has been increased from three to five items. 2. Wording has been modified to assess maternal beliefs rather than activities. 3. The Bipolar group is accounted for. The modified questionnaire (obtainable from Raphael-LefT) is presently being utilized for cross-cultural investigations in China, Canada, Hong-I
Printed in Great Britain
327
0 1992 The British Psychological Society
Facilitators and Regulators : Cross-cultural and methodological considerations Anat Scher* and Orly Blumberg School of Educafion, University of Haija, Haija, Israel 31905
In a model of motherhood Raphael-Leff (1983) delineated two basic orientations : the Facilitator who adapts to the baby and the Regulator who expects the baby to adapt. The FR questionnaire was completed by 97 Israeli mothers of six-month-old infants; 34 per cent were classified as Facilitators, 34 per cent Regulators, 15 per cent Intermediates and 17 per cent were labelled Bipolars. Future research should explore the characteristics of this latter group and its prevalence in other societies.
Parents’ ideas and child-rearing orientations are of interest to a wide range of scientists and clinicians. Mothers vary in their ideas about starting points (i.e. the initial nature of children) and in their goals for subsequent development (Goodnow & Collins, 1990). Drawing on clinical experience, observations of mother-infant interaction as well as empirical research data, Raphael-Leff (1983) proposed a model of motherhood incorporating conscious and unconscious mental representations of infancy and motherhood. In Raphael-Leff s model (1986, 1991, 1 9 9 2 ~ )two distinct maternal orientations are contrasted. The Facilitator mother who believes that ‘baby knows best’ as opposed to the Regulator mother who believes that the ‘caretaker knows best ’. The two maternal orientations, suggests Raphael-Leff (1983), match two distinct psychodynamic standpoints. Freud’s and the ego-psychologists’ view, in which the infant is regarded as a passive bundle of needs, is the orientation held by the Regulator. While the view of the neo-Freudians and object relations theorists, in which the baby actively communicates his needs, more accurately describes the Facilitator’s orientation. The Facilitator mother in Raphael-Leff s model (1986, 1991, 1 9 9 2 ~ experiences ) pregnancy as the culmination of her feminine identity; she views the neonate as sociable and dependent and her role is conceptualized in terms of exclusivity and flexibility. At the other end of the spectrum, the Regulator mother regards pregnancy as a ‘tedious means of getting a baby’ (Raphael-Leff, 1992u), the new-born is perceived as asocial and demanding, the maternal role is conceptualized in terms of the establishment of routine, and caring for the baby is ideally shared with others. While the Facilitator adapts to the baby and makes herself immediately available to
* Requests for reprints.
328
Anat Scher and O r b Blumberg
the child, the Regulator expects the baby to adapt to the world and thus she attempts to regulate the gratification of the child’s needs. To distinguish Facilitators from Regulators empirically, Raphael-Leff (1985) developed a semi-structured questionnaire (FRQ) in which mothers respond to questions regarding: (1) the establishment of a daily routine, (2) method of feeding and weaning and (3) attribution of early sociability to the infant. Consequently, mothers were labelled as extreme Facilitators, moderate Facilitators, Intermediates, moderate Regulators and extreme Regulators. T o date, only limited empirical data regarding the reliability and validity of the FRQ have been published. The purpose of the present study was to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. A second goal was to describe maternal orientations within a sample of Israeli mothers and to identify demographic characteristics which are linked to these orientations.
Methods Su@ects Ninety-seven mothers out of 118 Israeli mothers whose healthy babies took part in a longitudinal investigation (Scher, 1991) provided the data for the present study. The demographic characteristics of the subjects are as follows: mother’s mean age = 28.5 (SD 4.7), education = 13.8 years (SD 2.4). Fifty-seven per cent were of European-American origin and 43 per cent of Asian- African descent; 46 per cent of the mothers were employed. Fifty per cent of the children were boys and 39 per cent firstborn.
Measures and procedure In a pilot study, the reliability of the Hebrew version of the Facilitator-Regulator questionnaire (FRQ) was established. A test-retest, on a sample of 20 mothers, in a two-week interval, yielded a coefficient reliability of r = .95. The FRQ was mailed to 118 mothers when their infants were six months old along with a stamped envelope. Eighty-one per cent of the questionnaires were returned.
Results
The data indicated that mothers’ responses to the three domains of the questionnaire were not correlated (Table 1).
Table 1. Pearson correlation coefficient between the FR items (N = 97)
Feeding schedule Sociability
Daily routine
Feeding schedule
.13 (p = .20) -.01 (p = .88)
.13 (p = .19)
Taking into account the extremely low internal reliability of the measure (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.21) the original scoring and classification method suggested by Raphael-Leff (1985) was reconsidered. When examining the frequencies of the
Facilitators and Regul’ators : Cross-cultural and methodological considerations
329
various orientations expressed for the three items (Table 2), it appeared that the sociability item yielded somewhat different distribution. Since this latter item was also regarded by Raphael-Leff (1990) as the less distinctive of the two styles, it was decided not to use it for the purpose of classifying maternal orientation.
Table 2. Percentage of Facilitator, Regulator and Intermediate responses Facilitator
Regulator
Intermediate
35 26 23
35 35 49
30 39 28
Daily routine Feeding schedule Sociability
A second methodological concern stemming from the scoring system was that a similar summary score could have been representing very different orientations. For example, mothers who scored 0 (extreme Facilitator) on the first item and 4 (extreme Regulator) on the second question had obtained similar means as the responder who scored 2 (Intermediate) o n both items. To deal with this limitation the classification criterion was somewhat altered. In line with Raphael-Leff s (1985) instructions mothers who scored 0 and/or 1 were labelled Facilitators, Regulators scored 3 and/or 4 and Intermediates scored 2. However, mothers who obtained a 0 o r 1 on one item and 3 or 4 on the other were no longer labelled as Intermediates but rather as Bipolars. Using the above definitions, 34 per cent of the mothers were identified as Facilitators, 34 per cent Regulators, 15 per cent Intermediates and 17 per cent Bipolars. Neither maternal age, education, ethnicity o r employment nor the child’s gender had significant associations with maternal orientation. A link between the child’s birth order and orientation was found such that with a first child a Regulator orientation was more common = 9.95, p < .OI).
(xz
Discussion The results of this investigation suggested that in spite of the limitation of the FRQ, the tool may, nevertheless, serve as a measure for identifying maternal orientations. Based on the combination of adherence to or lack of (a) daily routine and (b) predetermined feeding time schedules, four categories of mothers emerged. In line with Raphael-Leff s (1983, 1985) distinction, Facilitator, Regulator and Intermediate groups were identified. But, unlike the original scoring system, we had limited the Intermediate classification only to mothers who gave moderate responses on both items. Consequently, mothers who responded as would a Facilitator o n one item and as a Regulator on the other question (17 per cent of the sample) were labelled ‘Bipolars’. O u r argument was that rather than representing a mid-point on a continuum, the ‘Bipolars’ have expressed a style which holds two distinct and contrasting responses, and thus should be discriminated from the moderate Intermediates. Support to the hypothesis that the Bipolars form a unique group
330
Anat Scher and Orb Blumberg
is provided by Blumberg (1991) who found that Intermediate mothers had significantly lower maternal separation anxiety (Hock, McBride & Gnezda, 1989) compared to the Bipolar group. Since separation concerns are a key element in mothers’ orientation (Raphael-Leff, 1986) as well as in internal working models (Main, Kaplan & Cassidy, 1985) the distinction between the two groups is supported. Future investigation should explore the belief system, internal model and behavioural characteristics of the Bipolars. An interesting question to address is whether the inconsistent and conflicting responses of the Bipolars are further reflected in handling and child care. If so, it would be important to investigate the effect on the child. One prediction might be that insecurity and disorganization would be prevalent among children of Bipolars. In addition to the examination of the characteristics of the FRQ, this study examined variables which contribute to mothers’ approaches towards motherhood and child care. Our data indicated that in a sample of predominantly middle-class Israeli urban families, neither mother’s age, years of schooling, ethnic origin nor employment status were significantly associated with maternal orientation. In line with Raphael-Leff s observation (1985) we found that Regulator orientation is more common among first-time mothers. As may be predicted from the observation that the orientation is prenatally determined (Raphael-Leff, 1991) there was no difference in maternal orientation towards boys and girls. Finally, since no normative data from other cultures were available it is not possible to compare the distribution of maternal orientation of Israeli mothers to other societies. Furthermore, it is not clear whether the Bipolar group is a unique characteristic of our sample o r whether it can be identified in other communities as well. Future validation and cross-cultural investigations might also expand the questionnaire and strengthen its psychometric characteristics. Indeed, since this study was initiated, on the basis of feedback from various studies, modifications have been introduced into the original 1985 questionnaire, as follows : 1. The questionnaire has been increased from three to five items. 2. Wording has been modified to assess maternal beliefs rather than activities. 3. The Bipolar group is accounted for. The modified questionnaire (obtainable from Raphael-LefT) is presently being utilized for cross-cultural investigations in China, Canada, Hong-I
