어머니의 불안이 과보호 양육에 미치는 영향: 유아 기질의 조절 효과

The Effects of Maternal Anxiety on Overprotection: The Moderating Effects of Young Children's Temperament

Objective: This study examined the moderating effect of young children's temperament on the relationship between maternal anxiety and overprotection. Methods: A total of 250 mothers with 5-year-old children responded to online survey questionnaires, which included questions about maternal anxiety, overprotection, and their children’s temperament. Results: The results of the study revealed several important findings. First, maternal anxiety had a positive correlation to the overall level of overprotection and all sub-factors. The correlation between young children’s temperament and maternal overprotection had different results depending on the sub-factors of overprotection. Second, there was a significant moderating effect of young children’s temperament on the relationship between maternal anxiety and overprotection. That is, When the reactivity of a child was low, the positive effect of maternal anxiety on maternal overprotection was greater. Looking at the sub-factors of overprotection, only reactive temperament showed a significant moderating effect in the relationship between maternal anxiety and intrusive overprotection. On the relationship between maternal anxiety and permissive overprotection, reactivity and adaptability had significant moderating effects. Conclusion/Implications: This study showed that mother’s overprotection was associated with varying levels of their own anxiety and children’s temperament. These findings offer basic knowledge for development of a program for improving parenting behaviors.