This is the very first study of its kind in the Muslim Arabic culture of Yemen which provides a truly ‘off the beaten track’ context for the research on parenting using video observation methods in... Show moreThis is the very first study of its kind in the Muslim Arabic culture of Yemen which provides a truly ‘off the beaten track’ context for the research on parenting using video observation methods in a veiled culture. Completely veiled 62 mothers were filmed and observed while interacting with their children in a naturalistic setting and in a semi structured setting.Findings show that the Ainsworth Western-based video observation measure of maternal sensitivity was a feasible measure in the non-Western Arab Muslim culture even though with some challenges. Maternal sensitivity scores showed significant variation and were positivity related to maternal education, maternal social support, and negatively to partner conflict. Findings also showed a moderation effect of maternal religiosity in the association between harsh physical parenting and child outcomes. In children whose mothers showed a higher level of religiosity, harsh parenting was more strongly related to child behavior problems in comparison to their counterparts whose mothers showed lower levels of religiosity.We hope with its valuable results, this dissertation opens the door for future research using naturalistic video observation measures which can help to increase our knowledge on parenting and child development in that context. Show less
