Approvals and Disapprovals: Maternal Verbal Feedback in Toddlers’ Everyday Activities

We observed 53 mother-child dyads (28 boys, Mage = 18 months) in the home to examine maternal approval and disapproval of child behavior. Mothers on average produced more approvals than disapprovals. Mothers used approvals and disapprovals in response to a variety of child behaviors, many of which occurred during play.