Maternal Identity of Hearing Mothers of Deaf Adolescents 39 Joanna Kobosko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing in Warsaw, Poland. Marina Zalewska, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and professor in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw, Poland. Correspondence concerning this manuscript should be addressed to Dr. Zalewska at marina@engram.psych.uw.edu.pl. The Volta Review, Volume 111(1), Spring 2011, 39–59 Maternal Identity of Hearing Mothers of Deaf Adolescents. Empirical Studies—An Interpersonal Approach Joanna Kobosko, Ph.D., and Marina Zalewska, Ph.D. The maternal identity of mothers of adolescents who are deaf has certain specific features compared with mothers of adolescents who have typical hearing. That is, maternal identity differs with respect to distinctiveness, self-representation, and rep- resentation of mother-child relationships. A study using a comparative paradigm was conducted. The scores obtained on these dimensions from 41 mothers of adolescents who are deaf were compared with the scores of 40 mothers of adolescents with typical hearing. Each mother was studied individually (“face to face”) and both parametric and nonparametric statistics were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that the maternal identities of mothers of adolescents with hearing loss and those of adoles- cents with typical hearing did not differ in distinctiveness. Differences were found on dimensions of sensitivity, disability, and inventiveness, where the mothers of ado- lescents with hearing loss scored higher on these dimensions. In addition, behavioral features of the relationship with adolescents who are deaf dominated, which is associ- ated with a more distinct maternal identity. In mothers of adolescents with typical hearing, more distinct maternal identity is associated with the emotional meaning of the mother-child relationship. Further discussion is offered on the significance of the different dimensions of maternal identity for the psychological functioning of mothers of adolescents who are deaf as well as the adolescents themselves suggesting that mothers of adolescents who are deaf should seek help in facilitating the develop- ment of maternal identity—in other words, to become a mother of her own child with hearing loss.