Family-Infant Congruence: Routines and Rhythmicity in Family Adaptations to a Young Infant

Previous work suggests that the degree of match or congruence between the behavioral characteristics of infants and their families may significantly influence the nature of their interactions and the success of their mutual adaptation. We examined this hypothesis in a cross-sectional study of infant-family congruence on 1 behavioral measure: the degree of rhythmicity, defined for both infants and families as the extent of predictable regularity in ongoing daily life. Questionnaires sampling demographic, behavioral, and adaptive outcome variables were completed by 285 mothers who had infants ranging in age from 2 to 13 months and who had at least 1 other child. Infant rhythmicity was measured using the Perception of Baby Temperament Scale, and family rhythmicity was assessed with the Family Routines Inventory. Multivariate analyses confirmed that the level of congruence between infant and family rhythmicity was significantly associated with mothers' perceptions of overall family adjustment, controlling for other, potentially confounding independent variables. Results are discussed in the context of prior studies examining goodness-of-fit between the characteristics of children and their caregivers.