ABSTRACT
Resumen Las atribuciones de los niños y las niñas hacia los comportamientos de retraimiento social suelen estar determinadas por el entorno sociocultural particular en el que se desarrollan e influyen en la forma en que reaccionan a las conductas de sus pares durante las interacciones sociales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue comparar dichas atribuciones hacia dos subtipos de retraimiento social (timidez y preferencia por la soledad) referidas por niños y niñas de tres contextos diferentes de Mendoza (Argentina): urbano, urbano-marginado y rural. Se llevó a cabo un estudio con 221 niños y niñas abordando jardines de infantes estatales de cada ámbito (urbano: . = 82, Mmeses= 62.33; urbano-marginado: . = 72, Mmeses= 60.47; rural: . = 67, Mmeses= 63.07). Los escolares fueron entrevistados individualmente con una serie de viñetas gráficas con personajes hipotéticos desplegando conductas sociables, tímidas, solitarias y agresivas frente a las cuales respondieron preguntas sobre sus atribuciones y percepciones en distintos aspectos. Las diferentes pruebas no paramétricas realizadas señalaron que el personaje tímido fue percibido con mayor motivación social y menor intencionalidad en su conducta que el personaje solitario en todos los grupos. No se encontraron diferencias entre los contextos en la atribución de consecuencias sociales negativas para estas conductas, aunque el grupo de escolares rurales reportó mayor preferencia afiliativa y compasión por el personaje tímido en comparación con el grupo urbano. Se discuten estos resultados considerando cómo las expectativas de socialización de cada contexto podrían influir en las percepciones de los escolares hacia el retraimiento social.
Abstract Children's attributions towards withdrawn behaviors are usually determined by the particular social milieu in which they develop and tend to influence their behaviors and reactions. The aim of this work was to compare the attributions towards two subtypes of social withdrawal (shyness and unsociability) referred by children from three different contexts in Mendoza, Argentina: urban, urban-marginalized and rural. Participants were 221 kindergarten children from these contexts (urban: n = 82, Mmonths = 62.33; urban-marginalized: n = 72, Mmonths = 60.47; rural: n = 67, Mmonths = 63.07). Children were individually interviewed with a series of graphic vignettes with hypothetical characters displaying shy and unsociable behaviors, and for comparison purposes were also assessed aggressive and socially competent behaviors. After each vignette, children were asked a series of questions designed to assess their attributions toward each behavior in six dimensions: intentionality, social motivation, affiliative preference, social status, negative impact and sympathy. The results of this study showed that young children in the three contexts were able to distinguish social withdrawal from other types of behaviors (i.e., aggressiveness and sociability). Overall, withdrawn behaviors received more positive attributions (greater affiliative preference, better social position and less negative impact) than aggressive behaviors, although they were also perceived negatively in relation to more socially competent behaviors (the latter were attributed greater affiliative preference and best position within the peer group). Furthermore, it was observed that children from the three contexts made clearly distinctions among the different forms of social withdrawal in terms of intentionality and social motivation. Specifically, they reported that compared with unsociable characters, shy ones are more socially motivated and less intentional in their behavior, evocating greater feelings of compassion. However, some peculiarities can be appreciated in each context. The results indicated that children in the urban group reported greater feelings of sympathy for the shy character in relation to the unsociable, which was not evidenced in the other groups. In addition, children from the rural sample showed a greater preference for interact with the hypothetical shy peer than with the unsociable character and this inclination was also greater when compared with the urban sample. Taken together, these results may suggest that different socialization norms and expectations would evoke different meanings and implications to the socially withdrawn manifestations. It might be possible that in urban contexts children's socialization expectations highlight extraversion and self-affirming behaviors which generate more empathetic reactions in front of passive or fearful manifestations as shyness. On the other hand, rural children may prefer peers who display shy behaviors possibly because it is in line with expectations of social cohesion and modesty that are value in this milieu. Nevertheless, no differences were found between shy and unsociable behaviors in any of the contexts in terms of social position and negative impact that they anticipated for the peer group. These results could provide some support for the idea that social withdrawal tends to be globally perceived as benign at an early age, and especially in the rural context, where it is a frequent and valued behavior. Although it is not possible with the limited variables included in this study to know which are the specific contextual aspects that affect some attributions and through what mechanisms they do so, these findings are an important starting point to continue deepening the socialization processes in urban, urban-marginalized and rural young children. This study is also one of the first to evaluate the knowledge and attributions of Argentinean children from different social context toward social withdrawal and provides new evidence on the differences in the cultural meaning and implications of withdrawn behaviors in early childhood.
ABSTRACT
Este estudio muestra los aportes de una herramienta para la vigilancia del desarrollo psicoemocional temprano, que puede ser incorporada a la práctica del pediatra en el primer nivel, favoreciendo una concepción integral del control de salud. Se realizó la detección temprana de indicadores de retraimiento durante la consulta pediátrica con la escala ADBB (Guedeney, 2001/2007) a 67 bebés entre 2 y 14 meses, filmados en cuatro visitas pediátricas durante el año 2010, en dos centros de salud pública. Se trabajó en dos líneas paralelas. Un pediatra con formación en ADBB desde el inicio del estudio realizó la consulta de 30 bebés, y en caso de detectar retraimiento realizó intervenciones orientadas a promover nuevos recursos en los padres en la relación temprana. Otros 37 bebés fueron atendidos en sus controles habituales por nueve pediatras, quienes fueron formados en ADBB y en la implementación de intervenciones, después de la segunda consulta videofilmada. Resultados: de los 37 bebés, 40% presentaban retraimiento en la primera evaluación, 57% en la segunda y después de la capacitación (tercera evaluación), el retraimiento bajó a 13%. En el grupo de 30 bebés, los porcentajes de retraimiento fueron: 7% en la primera evaluación, 13% en la segunda, 10% en la tercera, y 3% en la cuarta. Conclusión: una perspectiva interdisciplinaria que incluye el desarrollo emocional temprano y el uso de la escala ADBB en la consulta de control en salud, brinda mayores herramientas para realizar detecciones tempranas e intervenciones oportunas desde la atención primaria, ganando en calidad de atención.
This study shows the contributions of a tool for the alertness of the psycho-emotional emotional development that could be integrated in the pediatrician practice in the First Level, in order to promote a more integrated approach of infant´s health. Early detection of withdrawal indicators was done with ADBB scale (Guedeney, 2001/2007) during regular pediatric consultation to 67 babies between 2 and 14 months, who were video-taped in four pediatric visits during 2010 in two Public Health Centers. Two parallel ways were done. One pediatrician trained in ADBB since the beginning of the study assessed 30 babies and in the cases which she detected withdrawal, she did interventions oriented to promote in the parents new resources in the early relationship. The others 37 babies were assisted in their regular pediatric visits in the traditional way by nine pediatricians, who were trained in ADBB and in the implementation of interventions after the second video-taped consultation. Results: in the group of 37 infants, 40% presented withdrawal in the 1st. assessment, 57% in the 2nd, and in the 3rd one, which was done after the training, the percentage of withdrawal decrease to 13%. In the parallel group of 30 infants the percentages were: 7% in the 1st. assessment, 13% in the 2nd, 10% in the 3rd, and 3% in the 4th one. Conclusion: an interdisciplinary approach that includes the early emotional development and ADBB scale in the regular well-baby consultation offers new tools for early detection and for timely interventions from the first level of care, increasing the quality of the care.