The objective of the present study was to survey adult attachment style in mothers with children under play therapy, and to examine if there is a difference in the relation between parenting efficacy and attitude toward emotional expression according ...
The objective of the present study was to survey adult attachment style in mothers with children under play therapy, and to examine if there is a difference in the relation between parenting efficacy and attitude toward emotional expression according to the mothers' adult attachment style. For this purpose, we investigated adult attachment style, parenting efficacy, and attitude toward emotional expression in mothers with children under play therapy and control group mothers, and tested if there are differences between the two groups. Then, we studied if there is a difference in the relation between parenting efficacy and attitude toward emotional expression according to adult attachment style, and analyzed correlations among the variables.
For this study, we selected 110 mothers who had 7-9 year old children under play therapy at child guidance centers, play therapy centers at child psychiatric departments, laboratories, counseling rooms at welfare centers, etc. in Seoul, and distributed questionnaires to them and recollected them. In addition, we sampled the same number of mothers with children who were not under play therapy as a control group and analyzed them on the research questions.
Using SPSS 12.0, we obtained frequencies and percentages from the collected data, and calculated Cronbach's α to measure the reliability of each scale. In addition, Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to see correlations among the variables, and tests, one way ANOVA and two way ANOVA were used to analyze the research questions.
The results of this study are summarized as follows;
First, in results of analyzing adult attachment style in the mothers with children under play therapy and the control group, no significant difference in adult attachment style was observed between the two groups.
Second, in results of analyzing adult parenting efficacy in the mothers with children under play therapy and the control group, mothers with children under play therapy showed the highest ability in rearing their children healthily but the lowest ability in being a good parent and in general parenting related to knowledge, behavior, etc. In addition, compared to the mothers of the control group, the mothers with children under play therapy perceived their parenting efficacy lower.
Third, in results of analyzing attitude toward emotional expression in the mothers with children under play therapy and the control group, the mothers with children under play therapy were most receptive and permissive toward the children's emotional expression of fear. In addition, they were more receptive and permissive to the children's emotional expression of anger and fear than the mothers of the control group. However, they were less receptive toward emotional expression of sorrow.
Fourth, in the results of analyzing difference in the relation between adult attachment style and parenting efficacy between the mothers with children under play therapy and the control group, no significant interaction effect was observed in overall parenting efficacy and its sub factors according to adult attachment style and between the two groups.
Fifth, in the results of analyzing difference in the relation between adult attachment style and attitude toward emotional expression between the mothers with children under play therapy and the control group, a significant interaction effect was observed only in attitude toward emotional expression of anger according to adult attachment style. Among the mothers with children under play therapy, those with stable attachment style were receptive and permissive toward the children's emotional expression of anger, and those with fearful attachment style were strict and regulative toward emotional expression of anger.
Sixth, in the results of analyzing the relations between the sub factors of the two variables parenting efficacy and attitude toward emotional expression, learning guidance ability was in a positive correlation with emotional expression of anger, and communication ability in a positive correlation with emotional expression of anger, fear, happiness and hatred.
These results are meaningful in that they provide information on differences in parenting efficacy and attitude toward emotional expression between mothers with children under play therapy and mothers in the control group and give clues to mothers' parenting efficacy and their attitude toward their children's emotional expression, and ultimately, provide materials for developing structured parent education programs for improving mothers' inner characters. Accordingly, we expect that this study provides basic materials for building parent education programs for helping mothers perceive themselves from a more objective viewpoint, have higher confidence in parenting, and take a proper attitude toward their children's emotional expression.