The purpose of this study is to investigate a relationship between marital conflict as parenting stress perceived by mother of preschool children and paternal involvement, and intended to increase psychological stability and happiness of family by rel...
The purpose of this study is to investigate a relationship between marital conflict as parenting stress perceived by mother of preschool children and paternal involvement, and intended to increase psychological stability and happiness of family by relieving parenting stress through this process.
Research problems established in this study are as follows.
First, does the parenting stress of mother vary according to the sociodermographic variables(gender·age·number of children, age·career·academic background·economic level·duration of marriage of married couple, religion, coresidence with grandparents)?
Secondly, how do marital conflict perceived by mother and paternal involvement affect parenting stress of mothers?
Thirdly, how are parenting stress perceived by mother, paternal involvement, and marital conflict related with each other?
To this end, this study conducted questionnaire on 300 mothers through purposeful sampling method among nonprobability sampling methods on kindergartens and daycare centers located in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. Measurement tools used to investigate the effect of marital conflict and paternal involvement on parenting stress of mother were marital conflict scale, paternal involvement scale, parenting stress scale of mother, and they were modified to conform the purpose of this study. For data analysis, this study conducted frequency, percentage, average, standard deviation, correlation, regression analysis, hierarchical regression analysis using Window SPSS 18.0 statistical program.
The main findings of the research are as follows.
First, as a result of investigating the effect of sociodermographic variables on parenting stress of mother, it was identified that parenting stress of mother was higher when the child is boy compare to girls. However, average value between group did not show statistically significant difference depending on the gender of child, number of children, age of married couple, career, academic background, economic level, duration of marriage, and coresidence with grandparents.
Secondly, as a result of conducting correlation analysis to identify the effect of paternal involvement and marital conflict on parenting stress of mother, it was identified that the degree of paternal involvement has negative correlation with parenting stress of mother. On the other hand, it was identified that marital conflict has positive relationship with parenting stress perceived by mother. As a result of regression analysis on the parenting stress of mother by paternal involvement and marital conflict, the paternal involvement did not make direct influence on the parenting stress of mother and it was identified that marital conflict has significantly direct influence on parenting stress of mother statistically.
Thirdly, as a result of investigating a relationship between parenting stress perceived by mother, paternal involvement, and marital conflict, it was identified that although paternal involvement does not make direct influence on the parenting stress of mother, it makes effect with marital conflict as a mediator. In other words, paternal involvement makes effect on the parenting stress of mother according to the currently experiencing marital conflict.
To sum up, it was the marital conflict that made direct influence on the parenting stress of mother, and it was verified that the marital conflict fully mediates marital conflict in a relationship between parenting stress perceived by mother and paternal involvement. Therefore, when more specific information on variables that can cause marital conflicts is provided in process of marital counseling, it can reduce pain and difficulty that mothers of children of preschool age go through while raising their children, and ultimately, it can contribute to the mental health of mothers.