The behavior of a mother toward her preschool child in a standard play room was observed through a one-way screen and recorded every 5 seconds in terms of 32 categories. After matching 2 groups, each experimental group mother was given motivation to have her child perform better in the second session. Whereas the control mothers showed consistency in both sessions, experimental mothers showed more attempts to influence the child by directing, interfering, criticizing, structuring, or helping. Different methods of influencing are illustrated by 3 cases of varying mother-child dependence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)