The purpose of this study was to examine effects of mother's attachment and
empathy on social competence in young children. Subjects of this study were 298
mothers of young children aged 3-5 years old attending 8 kindergartens located in
Chungbuk p...
The purpose of this study was to examine effects of mother's attachment and
empathy on social competence in young children. Subjects of this study were 298
mothers of young children aged 3-5 years old attending 8 kindergartens located in
Chungbuk province.
The results of this study were as follows:
First, mother's secure attachment had a direct effect on mother's cognitive empathy.
Mother's insecure attachment had a direct effect on mother's behavioral empathy while
mother's avoidant attachment did on mother's agitated emotional empathy.
Second, mother's cognitive, behavioral and agitated emotional empathy had direct
effects on young children's positive social competence. However, mother's agitated
emotional empathy only had a direct effect on negative social competence.
Third, mother's cognitive, behavioral, and agitated emotional empathy had mediated
the effect of mother's attachment on young children's positive social competence.
However, there were no mediated effect of mother's empathy on negative social
competence.