Related data for: Maternal Sensitivity and Warmth in Singapore: Cultural Insights from Comparing the Ainsworth and Emotional Availability Scales

Accompanying data for a study on observed maternal sensitivity and warmth in Singapore. The convergence between sensitivity scores on the Ainsworth and Emotional Availability Scales were examined, along with their associations with maternal warmth, children’s language ability and likeability by peers in preschool. Participants were 167 mothers and their child aged 4 to 6 (55.7% girls) from the four major ethnic groups in Singapore (Chinese, Malay, Indian and Other). EA sensitivity was positively related to Ainsworth sensitivity and maternal warmth, but the overlap was not large, pointing to key conceptual differences that were discussed in light of cultural considerations. Contrary to expectation, Ainsworth sensitivity was more closely linked to maternal warmth than EA sensitivity was. Ainsworth sensitivity and warmth were related to less pragmatic difficulty and better likeability by female peers among preschoolers. The findings suggest that sensitivity and warmth may have a positive functional value despite the prevalence of emotional restraint in this cultural context.