In these rapidly-changing days, the social problematic behaviors increase, so it is essential for the individuals to enhance their self-regulation, and thereby, understand others’ emotions and respond appropriately to them. So, it is also necessary ...
In these rapidly-changing days, the social problematic behaviors increase, so it is essential for the individuals to enhance their self-regulation, and thereby, understand others’ emotions and respond appropriately to them. So, it is also necessary to review the variables affecting infants’ self-regulation. With such basic conceptions in mind, this study was aimed at analyzing the effects of mothers’ parenting attitudes on their infants’ self-regulation and then, verifying the mediated effects of attachment in the relations between mothers’ parenting attitudes and their infants’ self-regulation.
To this end, the researcher sampled the mothers whose infants were enrolled at the children’s house in Suwon and Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. A total of 560 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to them, and among them, 520 ones were returned. Thus, a total of 512 responses were used for this study with 8 incomplete ones excluded. In order to analyze the direct effects of mothers’ parenting attitudes on their infants’ self-regulation and verify the mediated effects of attachment in the relations between the two variables, the data collected through the questionnaire survey were processed using the SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0 for descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, factor analysis, and path analysis through structure equation model.
The results of this study could be concluded as follows;
First, as a result of analyzing the effects of mothers’ parenting attitudes on their infants’ self-regulation, it was found that their affectionate and permissive parenting attitudes would serve to enhance their infants’ self-regulation, while their repulsive parenting attitude serves to reduce their infants’ self-regulation. Namely, mothers’ positive and permissive parenting attitudes would serve to form a sense of trust between mothers and their infants, enhancing their self-regulation, while their repulsive parenting attitude making their infants experience a sense of frustration would serve to reduce their infants’ self-regulation.
Secondly, as a result of analyzing the effects of mothers’ parenting attitude on their infants’ attachment, it was found that mothers’ affectionate and permissive parenting attitudes would serve to enhance their infants’ attachment, while their repulsive parenting attitude would serve to reduce their infants’ attachment. All in all, it was confirmed that mothers’ parenting attitudes would determine the quality of the affection between mothers and their infants, and that the quality of the affection formed in an affectionate and permissive environment would be higher.
Thirdly, as a result of analyzing the correlation between attachment and self-regulation, it was found that the higher the communication and sense of trust were, infants’ self-regulation was higher, and that the higher the infants’ sense of alienation was, their self-regulation was lower. In other words, in order to establish a stable emotional bond between parents and children, trust must be formed based on positive emotional expression and support, thereby enhancing the child's self-regulation. On the other hand, alienation is an unstable type of attachment, which can be seen as having the effect of reducing the self-regulation of infants.
Fourthly, as a result of analyzing the mediated effects of attachment in the relation between mothers’ parenting attitude and infants’ self-regulation, it was found that the attachment would have an indirect effects on the relation. Hence, it could be confirmed that the effects of attachment in the relation between mothers’ parenting attitude and their infants’ self-regulation would be significantly positive. Specifically, mothers’ positive parenting attitude would serve to form a stable attachment between them and their infants and such attachment would influence infants’ self-regulation.
As discussed above, it was confirmed that the mediative effects of the attachment in the relation between mothers’ parenting attitudes and their infants’ self-regulation would be significantly positive. The attachment is formed first in the process of infants’ growth, being followed by their self-regulation. In this regard, this study may well be significant in that it has confirmed the importance of attachment in relation between mothers’ parenting attitudes and their infants’ self-regulation.