This study aimed to examine the relationships among mothers’ perceptions of their family-of-origin marital relationship, marital intimacy, and parenting attitudes, as well as the mediating role of marital intimacy. Participants were 204 mothers of c...
This study aimed to examine the relationships among mothers’ perceptions of their family-of-origin marital relationship, marital intimacy, and parenting attitudes, as well as the mediating role of marital intimacy. Participants were 204 mothers of children aged 3 to 5 years enrolled in daycare centers and kindergartens in Gyeonggi-do, who completed a survey between March 26 and April 17, 2024. Data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0, employing frequency analysis, t-tests, correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and the Sobel test. The results were as follows. First, mothers’ perceptions of their family-of-origin marital relationship showed positive associations with marital intimacy and with affectionate, autonomous, and controlling parenting attitudes, and a negative association with rejecting attitudes. Marital intimacy was positively related to affectionate and autonomous parenting attitudes and negatively related to rejecting attitudes. Second, marital intimacy partially mediated the relationship between the family-of-origin marital relationship and affectionate and rejecting parenting attitudes, and fully mediated the relationship with autonomous parenting attitudes. These findings underscore the importance of marital intimacy in shaping positive parenting attitudes among mothers.