This study was conducted to verify the mediating effect of peer support in a relationship between parents’ positive emotional expression and peer communication. Communication was classified into open communication and dysfunctional communication(sat...
This study was conducted to verify the mediating effect of peer support in a relationship between parents’ positive emotional expression and peer communication. Communication was classified into open communication and dysfunctional communication(satir, 1983). To this end, this study analyzed total 408 copies of data of parents’ positive emotional expression perceived by adolescents and peer relationships between communication on 7th and 8th grade male and female students.
Pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis was conducted to investigate a relationship between parents’ positive emotional expression, communication, and peer support, and conducted mediation effect analysis through Baron&Kenny’s regression analysis(1986) to verify the mediating effect of peer support. Also, this study verified the significance of mediating effect through Sobel-test. Results of this study are as follows.
First, according to the result of correlation between research variables, it was identified that there is positive relationship between parents’ positive emotional expression and peer support. Also, it was identified that parents’ positive emotional expression has positive correlation with open communication and negative correlation with dysfunctional communication. The result signifies that dysfunctional communication of students increases when parents’ positive emotional expression is lower and open communication of students increases when there are more positive emotional expression of parents.
Also, peer support and open communication showed positive correlation and peer support and dysfunctional communication showed negative correlation. The result is consistent with a research finding that communication of parents makes effect on peer relationship of children.
Secondly, this study was supported because peer support showed mediating effect between parents’ positive emotional expression and communication. According to the analysis result, it was identified that parents’ positive emotional expression and communication have full mediation effect. Meaning, positive emotional expression of parents makes effect on open communication through peer support no matter what. On the other hand, emotion of parents makes effect on dysfunctional communication but parents’ positive emotional expression can also make another influence through peer support. This signifies that dysfunctional communication has more influence than open communication and open communication of students increases when there are more positive emotional expression of parents.
The result implies that it is necessary to pay more attention on peer support in particular and develop related counseling program. Through this process, various counseling and guidance methods for group education of adolescent communication and for improving communication can be suggested, and will be provided as the preliminary data for improving policies and services for the youth.
Keywords: parents’ positive emotional expression, communication, peer support