The purpose of this study was to develop a model for preschool children's self regulation model and examine the effects of maternal parenting stress, maternal behavior, and maternal parenting efficacy on preschool children's self regulation. To achiev...
The purpose of this study was to develop a model for preschool children's self regulation model and examine the effects of maternal parenting stress, maternal behavior, and maternal parenting efficacy on preschool children's self regulation. To achieve this purpose, this study established the following seven research hypotheses.
First, maternal parenting stress is negatively related to preschool children's self-regulation. Second, the effect of maternal parenting stress is mediated by maternal parenting efficacy. Third, the effect of maternal parenting stress is mediated by maternal behavior. Fourth, the effect of maternal parenting stress is mediated by the two factors, maternal parenting efficacy and maternal behavior. Fifth, maternal parenting efficacy is positively related to preschool children's self-regulation. Sixth, the effect of maternal parenting efficacy is mediated by maternal behavior. Seventh, maternal behavior is positively related to preschool children's self-regulation.
The subjects were 1539 mothers of 4- to 6- year-old preschool children attending kindergarten or child care centers located in Seoul and Kyunggi Province, Korea. Mothers were asked to rate the following four instruments on a 5 point Likert scale; The Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale(Cho & Lee, 2007), The Parenting Daily Hassles(Ahn, 2001), The Maternal Behavior Scale(Yoo, 1998), The Self-Regulation Scale(Lee, 2003). For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis(EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) were applied to the survey results in the first phase and structural equation modeling(SEM) analysis in the second phase.
The major results of this study were as follows:
First, the result of the measurement model found that it was fit to the data and resulted in good fit indices. This means that the factor structure of measurement model is applicable for use with preschool children from 4 to 6 years of age and also had appropriate validity.
Second, structural equation model was developed to examine the structural relationships among maternal parenting stress, maternal behavior, and maternal parenting efficacy on preschool children's self regulation. The final structural equation model was fit to the data and resulted in good fit indices. And also, the final structural equation model was tested separately for various groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics such as age and gender to see how appropriate the model was. The results supported the appropriateness of the final structural equation model.
Third, the findings of interrelationship among variables show that maternal parenting stress is negatively related to preschool children's self-regulation, and the relationship is also explained by the two mediating factors, maternal parenting efficacy and maternal behavior. And maternal behavior is positively related to preschool children's self-regulation. However, maternal parenting efficacy has no direct effect on preschool children's self-regulation, and also has no mediating role in the relations of maternal parenting stress and preschool children's self-regulation. This result provides a counter evidence to earlier work that parents' appraisals of their ability to perform parenting tasks successfully have important consequences for children's behavior and development.
In conclusion, maternal parenting stress and maternal behavior were most directly influential variables to preschool children's self-regulation. Moreover maternal parenting efficacy was indirectly meadiated through maternal behavior.