Do mothers and fathers interact differently with their child or is it the situation which matters?

Abstract

This study aimed to test the Differential Experience Hypothesis which suggests mothers and fathers interact differently with their child. The forms and functions of parents' language in interaction with their 2-2.5-year-old child were investigated across four different interactional settings within the home and for each parent separately. The results, supporting the differential experience hypothesis, suggest that differences do exist between mothers' and fathers' conversational styles. However, the findings indicate that gender is not the only influencing factor. The situations in which interaction occurs also appear to have an effect on the style of interaction irrespective of the sex of the parent (context hypothesis).